Haj pilgrims to shell out more this year

Mumbai: Haj pilgrims would have to shell out Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2,40,000 for two different categories per person this year. The amount to be paid by the pilgrims has increased substantially for different states because the government has discontinued the subsidy. Besides, there is an additional burden of around Rs 12,000 due to introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) by the Saudi government.

Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday announced in the Haj house that the Saudi government has increased the quota for Haj and as a result more Indians would be able to perform Haj. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased the quota by 5000 persons which was cut down few years back due to construction work going on in Makkah. With the increase in quota, 1,75,025 persons will be performing Haj from India this year and out of them 47,023 will go through private tour operators.

Consul General of India at Jeddah Mohammed Nur Rehman Sheikh, Haj Committee of India (HCOI) Chairman Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Qaisar, HCOI CEO Dr Maqsood Ahmed Khan and other members attended this press conference in which it was informed that total 1,28,002 pilgrims are going for haj through HCOI of them 47 per cent are female.