By TCN News,
Kozhikode: The distribution of Hajj quota to private Hajj tour operators may take a long time this year also, as the private operators have dragged the case to the Kerala High Court. A group of private operators had approached the Kerala High Court asking it to implement an earlier Supreme Court verdict on the matter. The HC postponed the case to July 2, when it was considered on Monday.
A group of 32 private Hajj tour operators, under the leadership of Abdurahman Haji who runs the Al Ameen Travels in Malappuram, had approached the Supreme Court last year requesting it to allow Hajj quota to them also, in which the SC ruled in their favour. However, the Kozhikode Hajj Association approached the High Court against it, as the Hajj quota would have to be again divided if these said 32 groups also come in the list. Abdurahman Haji also has joined party to the plea, stating the SC order to allow quota to the 32 groups.
Presently, private operators are given a quota of 45,800. The quota of prevailing groups were cut down by 50 and given to new groups when Sashi Tharoor was the Minister of State for External Affairs. So, the existing private operators might well be in fear of losing their quota of seats if new groups are admitted. Accordingly, the Kozhikode Hajj Association has reportedly asked in its petition not to make any changes in the quota allocation and to give new license only to those having five years’ experience.
Around 160 groups have applied via the Kozhikode Association for license, for which the Association remits Rs 15,000 each as fee, according to reports. So, the Association follows a policy by which it receives applications for license on one hand and asks the court not to give new licenses on the other.
However, all these have raised fears that the Hajj pilgrimage of several applicants will be drowned in this fight among the private groups, as happened last year. Around 20,000 applicants had lost the chance for Hajj last year, which included private groups and religious organisations.