Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday described the Government announcement to significantly reduce airfare for those going on the Haj, a month after it scrapped subsidies for the pilgrimage, as a "major step".
"The PMO took a keen interest in this. The decision is in line with our empowerment without appeasement policy," Naqvi told reporters. The reduction will be applicable to passages on Air India, Saudi Airlines and Flynas, an air carrier based in Saudi Arabia, to Jeddah and Medina from 21 airports in India.
The decision to cut airfares will end the "political and economic exploitation" of Hajis "as was done during the Congress-led UPA regime", Naqvi claimed. It is not clear as who would bear the burden of air airfare reduction. The Minister compared Haj airfares fixed during the former UPA regime and the ones for 2018.
From Ahmedabad, the round fare this year will be around Rs 65,015 as against Rs 98,750 in 2013-2014. The passage from Mumbai has been brought down to around Rs 57,857 from Rs 98,750 in 2013-14. The Government had in January abolished subsidies given to those on the pilgrimage in view of a 2012 Supreme Court order.
Government had earlier said that it would be saving Rs 700 crore annually on haj subsidy which would be used to finance the education of the girls in the Muslim community. The number of those going to Haj has this year increased considerably with Saudi Arabia acceding to the Indian Government to increase quota for Indian haj pilgrims.
