Lok Sabha Question No. 2981 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-05
Subject: Haj Facilities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Kunhalikutty P.K.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2981 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2019

## HAJ FACILITIES

## 2981.  SHRI P.K. KUNHALIKUTTY:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of new initiatives taken to ensure proper and adequate facilities to the Haj pilgrimes and to mitigate their recurring problems; and
- (b) the steps taken/ being taken to make the system of arranging accommodation for Haj Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia transparent?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

- (a) The process  for  Haj-2020  has  beenmade  100%  digital.  This  includes  online application,  E-Visa,  Haj  mobile  app,  digital  pre-tagging  of  baggages  of  pilgrims,  EMASISA ( E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), Portal for Haj Group Organisers (HGOs) with their details and Haj packages.

Government of India takes a number of measures for the welfare of the Indian Haj pilgrims both in India and in Saudi Arabia. The Indian Haj pilgrims are provided all basic facilities and services for their smooth, safe and comfortable Haj experience.Haj Committee of India (HCOI) is empowered to make arrangements for the  pilgrims  only  in  India  under  present  norms.  Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  makes arrangements of air travel of HCoI pilgrims. It supervises the air charter operations during Haj period from 21 Embarkation Points across India and deploys officials in India  and  Saudi  Arabia  for  assistance  in  embarkation  and  disembarkation  of  the pilgrims. Consulate General of India (CGI), Jeddah, under the overall supervision of Ambassador of India in Saudi Arabia has the responsibility to make arrangements for accommodation,  local  transport,  etc.  for  the  Indian  pilgrims  for  their  stay  in  Saudi Arabia in coordination with Haj Committee of India and Ministry of Minority Affairs. It also has the responsibility to redress their grievances while they are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also provides various medical facilities to the Indian Haj pilgrimsfor which temporary Haj Medical Mission offices are opened during Haj season. Ministry of Minority Affairs sends government officials including doctors and para medical staff on temporary deputation to Saudi Arabia during Haj Season to assist CGI, Jeddah in the  management  of  Indian  pilgrims  in  the  Kingdom  of  Saudi  Arabia  and  providing round-the-clock facilities to them. The new initiatives taken during last three years for ensuring better and adequate facilities for Haj pilgrims are given in Annexure.

- (b) The hiring of accommodation in both Makkah and Madinah is done in a transparent manner. The matter of hiring of accommodations in Saudi Arabia is discussed in the annual inter-ministerial Haj review meeting, in which the accommodation hired during previous Haj is reviewed and broad parameters such as categories of accommodation, upper ceiling of rates of hiring, etc. are fixed for ensuing Haj and mandate is given to CGI, Jeddah for starting the process of hiring of accommodations in Makkah and Madinah as per the decisions taken in the meeting.

For  hiring  accommodation,  CGI,  Jeddah  issues  advertisements  well  in  advance  in local  newspaper  and  on  their  website,  inviting  landlords  of  buildings/  hotels  or registered companies or building group dealing in renting of accommodation who are interested  in  renting  their  buildings/hotels  for  the  Indian  pilgrims  coming  through HCOI.The  building  hiring  norms  for  accommodation  in  Makkah  is  placed  on  the website of the Consulate and hiring rates are also known  to the building owners/companies in advance. Interested Landlords/Companies register their details on  Consulate's  website.  After  preliminary  assessment  of  the  offers  received  by  a team  of CGI  Officials, the shortlisted buildings are physically inspected  and measured  by  Building  Selection  Teams  (BST)  comprising  of  officials  of  State Governments/ State Haj Committees. Those buildings, which are recommended by BSTs  are  again  visited  by  Building  Selection  Committees  (BSC)  comprising  of Members of HCoI and CGI Officials, which approves or rejects or grants conditional approval for hiring the buildings. The number of units hired in a particular building is as per the hiring norms.Once, the building is finally approved, details of the building are uploaded on the website of Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If the building fulfills all local conditions including approval during inspection by Saudi Ministry of Haj Team, payment gateways are opened after a particular time set by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and all payments are to be mandatorily done exclusively through their website.

For hiring accommodation in Madinah, advertisements are placed in local newspaper as well as Consulate's website. Building Groups which deal with accommodation in Madinah, submit their intent to provide accommodation for the pilgrims. A delegation comprising  of  Chairman,Members  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  HCOI  visit  Saudi Arabia to discuss and negotiate with the groups who had conveyed their intent. The Delegation decides both the rates of accommodation of different categories as well as number of accommodation units to be provided by each group. As the negotiation takes place in the open in the presence of all competitors for providing accommodation, the decision making is highly transparent.

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## NEW INITIATIVES TAKEN DURING LAST THREE YEARS

- (i) The  Haj  Quota  of  India  of  2,00,000  pilgrims  for  Haj  2019  is  the  maximum  since independence.  During  2014,  the  Haj  quota  of  the  country  was  1,36,020  pilgrims. There  has  been  an  increase  of  47%  in  the  Haj  quota  since  Haj  2014  and  14% increase from the previous Haj 2018.
- (ii) New five year policy for Haj Committee of India Pilgrims for Haj 2018-22 and Policy for the Haj Group Organisers for Haj 2019-23 has been formulated and implemented.
- (iii) The  Government  has  allowed  Muslim  women  to  go  on  Haj  pilgrimage  without 'Mehram' (male companion). 1171 women performed Haj without Mehram during Haj 2018, which increased to 2229 pilgrims during Haj 2019.
- (iv) The  demand  of  the  smaller  states  for  increasing  their  quota  has  been  met.  A provision has been made in the new Haj policy for allocation of quota to the States, which receive about 500 applications. The special additional quota for the Jammu & Kashmir State has also increased to 2000 pilgrims.
- (v) The reserved category of 70+ pilgrim has been retained and they are allowed with one companion each.
- (vi) In  order  to  minimize  financial  burden  on  Haj  pilgrims  even  after  removal  of  Haj subsidy  on  air  travel  of  the  pilgrims,  from  Haj  2018,  pilgrims  from  specified embarkation points are given choice to opt either for their designated embarkation point or the nearest specified economical embarkation point on the basis of actual airfare of previous year.
- (vii) Kozhikode (Calicut) has been re-started as Embarkation Point for Haj pilgrim from Kerala for Haj 2019. Vijayawada has been started as new Embarkation Point for the pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh from Haj 2020.
- (viii)  Online Haj applications through web portal and mobile app were initiated by HCoI and the application process has been made completely online from Haj 2020.
- (ix) Registration  process  for  Haj  Group  Organisers  (HGOs)  has  been  made  online. Initiative  was  taken  to  increase  transparency  and  competiveness  among  HGOs through launching  of  a  new  website  for  Haj  packages  offered  by  the  HGOs.  The website  facilitates  the  people  to  have  a  wider  choice  of  HGOs  on  the  basis  of services and facilities provided by them.
- (x) During Haj 2019, additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims was allocated to HGOs. These pilgrims were charged by the HGOs as per the applicable rates of HCoI.
- (xi) In the new Policy for HGOs for Haj 2019-23, provision has been made for allocation of minimum assured Haj quota to all eligible HGOs doing away with the system of selection by draw of lots.
- (xii) The number of officials including Doctors and para medical staff sent on temporary deputation to Saudi Arabia for Haj duty has been increased from 597 in Haj 2017 to 620 in Haj 2019.
- (xiii)  For Haj 2019, arrangements were made for hiring better quality accommodation in Saudi Arabia, hiring of 2018 and latest model of buses for inter-city transportation of pilgrims and Azizia-Haram Sharief transport.
- (xiv)  The number of temporary Branch Offices and Dispensaries set up by CGI, Jeddah in  Saudi  Arabia  for  the  welfare  and  management  of  Indian  pilgrims  has  been increased from 13 in Haj 2017 to 16 in Haj 2019.  In addition to the dispensaries, three  hospitals  in  Makkah  and  one  main  dispensary  in  Madinah,  with  diagnostic facilities like ultrasound, ECG, etc., were set up. Mobile medical teams visited High Risk Group (HRG) pilgrims on a daily basis at their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
- (xv)  E-MASIHA (e-Medical Assistance System to Indian Hajis Abroad), an online system has  been  used  since  Haj  2018,  to  create  and  maintain  comprehensive  health database of Indian Hajis and management of medical stock, was used extensively in Haj 2019 for smooth management of medical arrangements.
- (xvi)  Mobile  SIM  cards  were  distributed  to  the  pilgrims  at  their  respective  embarkation points in India before their departure to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2019.

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