New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas said that the last date for submission of applications for Haj 2021 has been extended till January 10, 2021. The potential expenditure per Haj pilgrims has also been reduced according to the embarkation point. Naqvi was speaking to reporters after presiding over the meeting of the Haj Committee of India at the Haj House in Mumbai today.
Naqvi said that 10 December 2020 was the last date of application for Haj 2021, which has been extended to 10 January 2021. More than 40 thousand applications have been received so far. Of these, 500 applications have been received without ‘Mehram’ women category.
For Haj 2020, more than 2100 women applied to perform Haj without ‘Mehram’ (male relatives). These women will be able to go on Haj this time. Applications made for Haj 2020 by women going on Haj without ‘Mehram’ (male relatives) will also be valid for Haj 2021. In addition, new applications are also being accepted from women willing to undertake ‘Mehram’ Haj 2021 journey. Without the ‘Mehram’ category there will be no lottery system. Such people are applying from online, online and Haj Mobile apps.
Naqvi said that after discussions according to the embarkation point and feedback received from Saudi Arabia, the estimated cost per Haj pilgrimage has also been reduced according to the embarkation point.
According to the current estimate, the Haj pilgrims going from Ahmedabad and Mumbai embarkation points are about Rs. 3 lakh 30 thousand; Around 3 lakh 50 thousand rupees to Haj pilgrims going from Bangalore, Lucknow, Delhi and Hyderabad embarkation points; Around 3 lakh 60 thousand rupees to Haj pilgrims going from Kochi and Srinagar embarkation points; Haj pilgrims going from Kolkata Embarkation Point will cost around Rs. 3 lakh 70 thousand and Haj pilgrims going from Guwahati Embarkation Point will cost around Rs. 4 lakh per Haj.
Shri Naqvi said that in view of the epidemic in Haj 2021, the National – International Protocol Guidelines will be followed in an expeditious manner. Haj 2021 is to be held in the month of June-July. The entire Haj process is being done according to the eligibility criteria, age criteria, health conditions and other necessary guidelines set by the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Government of India in the wake of the Corona disaster, to ensure the health of the people of India and Saudi Arabia.
Naqvi said that by giving priority to the health, safety and guidelines of the Government of Saudi Arabia and Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Haj Committee, Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Indian Consul General in Jeddah etc. The process of Haj 2021 has been fixed after intensive consultation.
Naqvi said that arrangements for Haj 2021 have been made under special circumstances. The arrangements include specific methods, rules and regulations, eligibility standards, age restrictions and health requirements, given the situation in the Government of Saudi Arabia due to the Corona epidemic.
In the entire Haj pilgrimage process, a lot of changes have been made in view of the epidemic. The process includes housing, pilgrimage, transportation, health and other facilities in India and Saudi Arabia. All necessary guidelines for Hajj 2021 will be strictly followed in the event of an epidemic in Saudi Arabia.
Age standards may change depending on the effect of the corona. Under the International Air Travel Protocol set forth so far, every person going on Haj pilgrimage will be required to undergo a corona test 72 hours before the Haj pilgrimage. Before traveling to Saudi Arabia, each passenger must produce a PCR test certificate of negative results issued by the approved laboratory.
Naqvi said that the number of incarceration points has been reduced to ten based on the corona epidemic and the feedback received from Air India and various foreign agencies. Earlier the number of incarceration points in the country was 21. The ten embarkation points for Haj 2021 are-
All Haj pilgrims from Gujarat from Ahmedabad embarkation point; From Bengaluru (all Haj pilgrims from Karnataka); From Kochi (Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar); From Delhi (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and the western region of Uttar Pradesh); From Guwahati (Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland); From Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana); From Kolkata (West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand, Bihar); From Lucknow (all areas of Uttar Pradesh except West Uttar Pradesh); Haj pilgrims will travel from Mumbai (Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli) and from Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh-Kargil).
In the meeting, senior officials of the Union Minority Affairs Ministry, CEO of Haj Committee of India, MA. Khan and other officials were present.