A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had fixed 2022 as the deadline for the subsidy to the ended
The Centre has decided there will be no subsidy for Haj from this year. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here that despite the withdrawal of the subsidy, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will undertake the pilgrimage this year from India.
A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had fixed 2022 as the deadline for the subsidy to the ended.
"The Supreme Court had, during the Congress regime in 2012, directed that the Haj subsidy be done away with. Hence, in the new policy, as per the recommendations of a committee, we have decided to do away with the Haj subsidy gradually," he said.
Naqvi also said that the Saudi Arabian government has in-principle agreed to allow Haj journey from India by ships and officials of the two countries will sit together to finalise the modalities.
"This is part of our policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement," Naqvi said.
Sources in the government termed it a "reformist" step.
However, officials in the ministry told DNA that subsidy had not ended for the pilgrims, but ailing state carrier Air India.
"Those who go through Haj committee pay around 1.8 lakh and they go via the Air India, which charges around Rs 40-45,000 per ticket. Now those who go via private airlines pay around Rs 3.5 lakh to begin with. The private airlines hike their ticket prices in Haj season. Now the difference between this price and that of the state carrier is what is paid to the state carrier. This is no subsidy and can be done away with. The logical result will be that people can go for Haj at lower prices rather than with subsidy."
The move to do away with subsidy also come close on heels of the government's decision of disinvestment of the national carrier.
In conversation with DNA, Naqvi also said that the government had made provision for those not affluent. "Earlier the embarkation points were fixed and hence the pilgrim had to pay the airline at the rate the latter fixed for that point. But, now we have made it flexible," Naqvi said.
WHAT IS THIS SUBSIDY?
- The government used to give discounts on Air India flight tickets to Haj pilgrims. The pilgrims were also provided assistance to reach specially designed departure terminals
- Assistance was also provided for meals, medical care and lodging. The subsidy program had its origins in the British era. It was expanded with the Haj Committee Act of 1959
- The SC in 2012 had said that the Haj subsidy be withdrawn by 2022. The top court had ruled that this subsidy is not only unconstitutional but inconsistent with the teachings of Quran
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