By Agence India Press,
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee today decided to raise the cost of Haj pilgrimage form the current Rs 12, 000 to Rs 16, 000.
The Hai pilgrimage is to start tomorrow with a total of 160,491 Indian pilgrims to visit Macca this year.
A team of 10 Indian doctors was dispatched in the first week of October to coordinate with Saudi health agencies for devising strategies to tackle swine flu. Two isolation rooms have been created in the 30-bed hospital run by the Indian Haj Mission in Mecca to handle swine flu-related cases.
While travel arrangements of 115,000 pilgrims are being coordinated by the Haj Committee of India, the rest of 45,491 pilgrims will come through private tour operators.
All, 341 flights including 115 from Saudia, 130 from Air India and 96 from NAS Air will operate between India and Saudi for the transportation of pilgrims. Saudi Arabia and Indian national carrier Air India will transport 41,642 pilgrims and 49,358 respectively.
The first flight carrying 250 passengers from Delhi by NAS air is scheduled to land tomorrow at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah. An average of 12 flights will carry around 4,000 pilgrims till November 22 from 19 different Indian embarking points every day.
About 500 buildings have been hired by Indian Haj Mission to accommodate pilgrims in Mecca. A team of “Mission Field Officers” will be deployed to assist branch offices to solve the problems of the pilgrims.