2 lakh Muslims to perform Haj this year without any subsidy: Naqvi

As many as two lakh Indian Muslims would perform Haj this year and over 45 per cent of them would be women, said Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday. Of the total, 1,40,000 Haj pilgrims will go to Haj through Haj Committee of India and 60,000 through Haj Group Organisers.

New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday that in 2019, two lakh Indian pilgrims will go for Haj without any subsidy, and over 45 per cent of them would be women.

Inaugurating the two-day training program of Haj in New Delhi, Naqvi said that 620 Haj Coordinators, Assistant Haj Officers and doctors have been appointed in Saudi Arabia to assist the pilgrims.

He added that it was for the first time since the independence that all the Haj applicants are going for the pilgrimage as none of the applications was rejected.

"A record number of two lakh Indian Muslims will go to Haj this year without any subsidy through more than 500 flights from 21 airports across the country," Naqvi said.

He further informed that 1,40,000 pilgrims will go through Haj Committee of India and 60,000 through Haj Group Organisers.

For the medical facility of Haj pilgrims, a total of 19 health centre arrangements have been made-16 in Mecca and three in Madina.