Lok Sabha Question No. 1123 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Haj Quota
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, CH. MALLA REDDY, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, ASHWINI KUMAR, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1123

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2017

## Haj QUOTA

## 1123.  SHRI MOHTE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- a)  whether Saudi Arabia has increased India's annual Haj quota and if so, the details thereof;
- b)  the  manner  in  which  the  Haj  quota  is  likely  to  be  allocated  to  each  State particularly Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana;
- c)  whether the Supreme Court directed the Government to gradually reduce the subsidy and completely remove it by 2022;
- d)  if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- e)  whether the Government has formed a Committee to look into the issue of Haj  subsidy  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  composition  of  the Committee and the main issue to be taken up by the Committee; and
- f) the  time  by  which  the  Committee  is  likely  to  submit  its  report  to  the Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

- (a) Yes, Madam. As per the Annual Bilateral Agreement signed between India and  Kingdom  of  Saudi  Arabia  for  Haj  2017,  a  quota  of  1,70,025  pilgrims (1,25,025 seats for Haj Committee of India and 45,000 seats for Private Tour Operators)  has  been  allocated  as  against  the  quota  of  1,36,020  pilgrims (1,00,020 seats for Haj Committee of India and 36,000 seats for Private Tour Operators) during previous year.
- (b) The  quota  allotted  to  Haj  Committee  of  India  are  allocated  to  all  States/ Union  Territories  Haj  Committees  including  the  States  of  Andhra  Pradesh,

Maharashtra and Telangana, in proportion of their Muslim population as per Census 2011.

- (c) and  (d)  Yes,  Madam.  The  Supreme  Court  while  dealing  with  the  Special Leave Petition (Civil) No.28609 of 2011 vide its Order dated 08.05.2012 and 13.04.2013,  inter  alia  observed  that  Haj  subsidy  is  something  that  is  best done  away  with  and  directed  the  Central  Government  to  progressively reduce the amount of subsidy so as to completely eliminate within a period of 10 years. Accordingly, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), which is responsible for making air travel arrangements for Haj Pilgrims identified by HCoI and to provide  subsidy  towards  airfare  payable  to  the  airlines,  has  progressively reduced  the  subsidy  for  Haj  operations  from  the  year  2012  onwards.  An amount  of  Rs.836.56  crore  as  subsidy  was  given  by  the  Government  in 2012-13. Progressively, it reduced to Rs.680.03 crore in the year 2013-14 , Rs.577.07 cror in 2014-15,  Rs. 529.51 crore in 2015-16 and Rs. 405 crore (approx) in the year 2016-17.
- (e) and (f) Every year a Haj Air Travel Committee (HATC) is constituted by the Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  to  look  into  the  various  aspects  of  air  travel arrangements  for  Haj  pilgrimage.  For  Haj  2017,  the  HATC  has  been constituted on 02.01.2017 under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary, MoCA and comprising of Joint Secretary level Officers of Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ministry  of  External  Affairs,  Director,  Directorate  General  of  Civil  Aviation, Chief  Executive  Officer,  HCoI  and  a  representative  of  Airports  Authority  of India.

Besides the above, Ministry of Minority Affairs has constituted a Committee on 31.01.2017 to review the Haj Policy 2013-17 and to suggest framework for Haj Policy 2018-22. This Committee comprises of Shri Afzal Amanullah, IAS (Retired), former Secretary  to Government of India  and former Consul General,  Consulate  General  of  India,  Jeddah,  Justice  S.S.  Parkar,  Retired Judge  of  Bombay  High  Court,  Shri  Qaiser  Shamim,  IRS  (Retd),  former Chairman,  Haj  Committee  of  India,  Shri  Kamal  Faruqui,  noted  Chartered Accountant & Muslim Scholar, Shri Michael Mascarenhas, former CMD, Air India and Shri J. Alam, Joint Secretary, in-charge of Haj, Ministry of Minority Affairs. The main issues taken up by the Committee are as under:

- (i) Review the existing Haj policy pertaining to HCoI and PTOs in the light of its objectives and achievements.
- (ii) Examine implications of various directions of the Supreme Court with regard to the existing  policy  and  to  suggest  suitable  amendments in the said policy in the light of such directions.
- (iii) Review  the  effectiveness  of  arrangements  made  by  HCoI  for  Haj pilgrims ' accommodation  and  air  travel  including  issues  related  with Haj subsidy.
- (iv) Examine the effectiveness of inter-relationship and coordination in the functioning of Haj Committee of India and CGI.
- (v) Examine  the  aspects  of  transparency,  consumer  satisfaction  and disclosure requirements for PTOs to protect interest of the Haj Pilgrims with  a  view  to  make  the  new  policy  of  greater  assistance  to  the pilgrims.
- (vi) Suggest  measure  for  ensuring  fair  competition  among  PTOs  and enhanced value for services provided by them.
- (vii) Suggest the framework for new Haj policy for HCoI and PTOs.

The  Committee  has  been  given  a  time  of  three  months  from  its constitution for submission of report.

*****