Haj 2019: Modi government had announced with much fanfare that the Saudi government has increased India's Haj quota by 25000 seats. However, the Haj Committee of India is still waiting for an official communique regarding the additional seats.
"We have not yet received any official confirmation from the concerned ministry regarding the additional seats", an official of the Haj Committee of India told ummid.com.
"In the absence of the official communique the Haj Committee of India cannot proceed with the Qurrah - draw of lots, these additional seats", the official added.
The decision to increase India's Haj quota was taken during a bi-lateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Mod and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Hyderabad House in New Delhi during the latter's visit to India in February this year.
The Haj Committee of India CEO then told ummid.com that the revised Haj quota will be applicable from 2019 itself. He also said that 30% of the 25,000 additional seats will be given to Private Tour Operators and remaining 70% seats will be given to pilgrims who had applied to Haj Committee of India.
"Pilgrims from the Haj 2019 waiting list will be given preference", he said.
It was anticipated that the Qurrah or Draw of lots for these additional seats will be held in the first week of April. However, the Haj Committee of India can't conduct the Qurrah unless it receives the official communique confirming the additional quota of 25000 seats and its division between the Haj Committee of India and Private Tour Operators.
Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had earlier requested Saudi Arabia to increase by 20,000 its quota of pilgrims for the Hajj of 2019. Naqvi made the request in Saudi Arabia when he was in Jeddah to sign Haj 2019 deal with the Kingdom's Haj ministry.
India was initially allocated based on population of Muslims in the country a Haj quota of around 1.70 lakh by Saudi Government. In 2018 however 175,025 pilgrims performed haj as the Saudi government accepting similar requests by the Modi government had increased India's quota by 5,025. With the additional seats of 25000, India's Haj quota has increased to 200,0000.
Meanwhile, the Haj Committee of India had extended the last date to make the first installment of payment till April 05, 2019. The State Haj Committees had earlier also released the list of pilgrims selected from the Haj 2019 Waiting List.
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