New Delhi: For thousands of Muslims who go on Hajj pilgrimage each year, the government withdrew the Hajj subsidy on Tuesday.

In Hajj subsidy, the government use to give discounts on Air India flight tickets to Hajj pilgrims. Apart from the discounted air fare, the Hajjj pilgrims were also provided assistance to reach specially designed Hajj departure airport terminals and assistance in meals, medical care and lodging was also provided.

All these benefits will now be scrapped as the Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi made the big announcement on Tuesday saying that the government believes in empowering the minority community with dignity and not appeasement.

‘Development with dignity is what we believe in. The Hajj subsidy will be used for educating girls,’ Naqvi said.
The Hajj subsidy program had its origins in the British era. In post-colonial era, however, the government expanded the program with the Hajj Committee Act of 1959, reports NDTV.

The Supreme Court in 2012 had said that the Hajj subsidy should be withdrawn gradually by 2022. The top court had ruled that that this subsidy is not only unconstitutional but inconsistent with the teachings of Quran.

In a Central Hajj Committee meeting in November 2017, it was decided that Hajj subsidy will be completely phased out in 2018 and funds will be utilised on educational programmes, especially for girl children of the minority community.

The government announced today that Rs. 700 crore Hajj subsidy will now be used educational purposes of the children.

The government also said that despite Hajj subsidy being withdrawn, a record 1.75 lakh Muslims would go on the pilgrimage this year after Saudi Arabia increased India’s quota by 5,000.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow people to go on the Hajj by ship, which is cheaper than flying, Naqvi added.