By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: The Central Hajj Committee will reform its procedure to select pilgrims from the next year onwards, said Shashi Tharoor, Union Minister of State for External Affairs. He was talking to the press persons in the Calicut International Airport.
Measures will be taken to consider those who have applied thrice but not got selection and the old. More arrangements will be made next year, understanding the problems faced by the piigrims. The Hajj quota for states is fixed as per the Muslim population. Kerala can have only about 7,000 seats according to it. However, the state has got about 8,500 seats in different quotas this year. So the state need not expect anything more from the quota additionally given by the Saudi government, he said.
The difficulties because of using small planes for the Hajj service have been noted. The service charge was actually given to the Air India. But the private Saudi company had to be approached as the Air India did not have enough planes. That the Saudi company had no jumbo planes created the problems.
The central government approached the Air India again as the state Hajj Committee brought the difficulties to notice. Facilities have been arranged to transport 1600 pilgrims in commercial planes from November 1 onwards. Complaints have been received that the private Hajj groups had been demanding too much fees. Necessary measures will be taken in the matter after investigation, the Minister said.
Mr Tharoor spoke to the pilgrims at the Hajj Camp and asked them to pray for the unity and integration of the country. MK Raghavan and PV Abdul Vahab (Members of Parliament), PTA Raheem (state Hajj Committee chairman and MLA), K Muhammedunni Haji (MLA), E Muhammed Kunhi (DCC president) and MC Mohan Das (district Collector) were present.