By MM News
New Delhi : Saudi authorities announced their decision to relax the restriction on number of pilgrims and restore it to its original quota which had been in effect for decades until being reduced five years ago.
Five years ago the Saudi authorities had reduced the number of foreign Haj pilgrims by 20% and domestic Haj pilgrims by 50%. It had been done keeping in view the safety of pilgrims while expansion of the Grand Mosque and mataf (circumambulation area around the Holy Kaba) went on. The expansion project is near completion now.
According to report published in Saudi Gazette, the authorities took the step after accepting a proposal regarding the same by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior who is also Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee.
Prince Muhammad stated that the exact number of pilgrims from each country will be decided by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah. According to quota system that existed until five years ago before the cuts due to expansion a country was allowed to send one Haj pilgrim per a thousand of its Muslim population.
Calling it a great move Indian Consul General Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh told the Saudi Gazette that “The Indian Haj Committee could accommodate only one fourth of the applicants after the quota cut. The reduced quota for pilgrims under the Haj Committee was 100,020 but the number of applicants exceeded 400,000 last year.”
“A total of 136,020 Indian pilgrims performed Haj during the last five years after imposition of a cut in quota in 2012, and they included 100,020 under Haj Committee and 36,000 who come through private tour operators,” he further said.
In another development State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, on Monday launched a mobile application which will provide information and facilitate e-payments for Haj at Haj House in Mumbai.