Govt would phase out subsidies to Haj pilgrimage

 Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announced that the Centre would phase
out subsidies for the annual Haj pilgrimage.

 “It is part of the Modi government’s efforts to empower minorities with dignity and without
appeasement,” he told a media briefing at the BJP headquarters here. The decision was taken by
his Ministry in November .

 The Centre’s decision followed a 2012 Supreme Court order asking that subsidies for the Haj be
phased out by 2022 and the money saved (around Rs. 450 crore annually) diverted to more
welfare-oriented activities.

 Political parties reminded the government of the caveat in the court order that the funds should be
spent on welfare.

 In November Mr. Naqvi told that his Ministry and the government had a larger responsibility
towards the minorities and the money saved from the Haj subsidy withdrawal would be used for the
education of the girl child.

 A new Haj policy, formulated by a committee headed by former bureaucrat Afzal Amanullah had
also suggested that women Hajis be allowed to perform the pilgrimage without male escort, or
mehram.

 In a first, a batch of over 1300 women will perform the annual pilgrimage of Haj from India without a
mehram this year.