Haj quota has increased by 63,980 in the last 5 years: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

The Haj quota has been increased by 63,980 in the last five years, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Thursday. In a reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Naqvi said in 2013, the Haj quota allocated to India was 1,36,020.

"In the last five years, the Haj quota has increased by 63,980. This year, 2,00,000 pilgrims would be going for Haj. "This time 2,00,000 hajis would perform haj without any subsidy. This is a record number in the history of India," he said

The Union minister further said out of the total quota of 2,00,000 pilgrims, a quota of 1,40,000 pilgrims has been allocated to Haj Committee of India (HCoI) and 60,000 pilgrims to Haj Group Organisers (HGOs), earlier known as private tour operators (PTOs).

"In this 60,000 allocation, the quota of 10,000 seats would go to the economically weaker section at HCoI rates," he said.