Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said the NDA government was working on a new Haj Policy which may be announced next year.
"We are working on a new Haj Policy. I cannot reveal more details now. The new policy provides more facilities to Haj pilgrims. Insha Allah, it will come next year," the Minister for Minority Affairs said at the inauguration of a vaccination programme for Haj pilgrims here.
He also said that the Saudi Arabian government has increased Haj pilgrim quota of India to 1.70 lakh per annum.
The Saudi authorities had five years ago slashed the quota for foreign pilgrims coming from each country by 20 per cent in view of safety of devotees, as they undertook expansion of Grand Mosque there.
Accordingly, India's quota was brought down to 1.36 lakh from nearly 1.70 lakh in 2012.
Referring to requests made by the Telangana government to increase state quota of Haj pilgrims, the Union minister said the hike was done keeping in view increased traffic from the state for the pilgrimage.
Naqvi said his ministry was in discussion with the Shipping Corporation of India to explore a possibility of sending pilgrims through sea route.
"For the last 30 years we have not used the sea route. We are talking to the Shipping Corporation of India. Nitin Gadkari (Union minister) is very positive and helpful on this matter (of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route).
"We discussed this issue with Saudi authorities also. They are co-operative. May be from next year onwards, we will be using ship voyage also," Naqvi told PTI on the sidelines of the programme.
He said the sea route may also reduce the cost of the journey drastically.
Dismissing the apprehensions expressed by MIM MLA Jaffer Hussain on alleged attacks on Muslims and Dalits, the BJP leader appealed to the public to isolate those elements trying to divide people on communal grounds.
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