NEW DELHI, July 20: The Cabinet has approved covering 1.25 lakh Hajj pilgrims for subsidy scheme this year under which each pilgrims would pay Rs 20,000 for air fare and the balance cost would be borne by the government.
“Apart from PSF, UDF, ADF and Saudi Airport Taxes/Fees, each pilgrims would pay Rs 20,000 as air fare. The balance cost of air travel arrangements would be borne by the Government,” an official statement said here today.
The Cabinet meeting took place last evening.
The pilgrims would depart from 21 embarkation points in India.
Gaya as an embarkation point has been introduced in place of Patna due to technical difficulties presently in operating direct flights from Patna, it said.
This year the Haj flights would start on September 17.
The External Affairs Ministry is the nodal Ministry for Hajj matters.
However, the air travel arrangements for pilgrims going on Hajj
through the Hajj Committee of India are made by Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The number of pilgrims, the embarkation points and the fare to charged from each pilgrim is decided by the Cabinet every year.
The element of cost of air travel arrangements in excess of the fare paid by the pilgrims is the Hajj subsidy borne by the Government, which is called Hajj subsidy.
Until 2009, the pilgrims were carried by Saudi Arabian Airlines on negotiated fares and by Air India on cost basis.
From 2010, it was decided to select the airlines through a tendering process. Sealed bids are invited from all eligible airlines and the airline offering the lowest fare from an embarkation point is engaged to carry the Hajj pilgrims.
For the Hajj-2012, airlines would also be engaged through competitive bidding.
(UNI)
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