First batch of Haj pilgrims leaves for Saudi Arabia; govt to facilitate 1,28,702 Indians this year

New Delhi: The first batch of Haj pilgrims on Saturday was flagged off by Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who said the preparations for ensuring a smooth pilgrimage had been completed. The first batch of 410 Haj pilgrims from Delhi left for Madina from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday morning. A total of 1,28,702 pilgrims will be facilitated by the government across India through the Haj Committee this year. Over 1,200 Haj pilgrims have left Delhi for Saudi Arabia in three flights on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_4306911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Besides Delhi, 450 pilgrims from Gaya, 269 from Guwahati, 900 from Lucknow and 1,020 pilgrims from Srinagar left for Saudi Arabia for Haj. Naqvi said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in cooperation with the Saudi Arabia Haj Consulate, Haj Committee of India and other concerned agencies, had completed preparations for Haj 2018 well before time to ensure a smooth pilgrimage. Noting that Haj 2018 is being organised according to the new Haj Policy, the minister said it had made the entire Haj process transparent and ensured better facilities for the pilgrims. Naqvi said despite the removal of the Haj subsidy and various new taxes imposed in Saudi Arabia, there was no additional financial burden on the pilgrims. He also said that Rs 57 crore less will be paid to airlines this year as compared to 2017 for Haj pilgrims travelling through the Haj Committee of India. Naqvi said that it was the first time after Independence, that 1,75,025 Muslims from India were going for Haj this year. He said more than 47 percent females are going for Haj this year and for the first time 1,308 Muslim women, travelling without ‘Mehram’ or male companion, were among them. Delhi Revenue and Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot, Haj Committee of India Chairman Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser, Delhi Haj Committee Chairman and MLA Mohammad Ishraq Khan and Minority Affairs Ministry Secretary Ameizing Luikham, were also present at the airport. On 17 July pilgrims from Kolkata, on 20 July pilgrims from Varanasi, on 21 July pilgrims from Mangalore, on 26 July pilgrims from Goa and on 29 July pilgrims from Aurangabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Nagpur, will embark for Haj. On 30 July, pilgrims from Ranchi, on 1 August pilgrims from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Hyderabad and Jaipur, and on 3 August, pilgrims from Bhopal, will embark for Haj.