From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 27: With as many as 17,182 applications for Haj pilgrimage from Karnataka this year, the State Government has urged the Centre to enhance the State’s Haj Quota from the present 4,977.
Out of 4977 seats allotted to the State, 3628 seats to be selected though online draw of lots.
Karnataka’s Information, Infrastructure and Haj Minister R Roshan Baig, who spoke at a function for launching the online draw of lots for selecting the Haj pilgrims from the State in Bangalore on Sunday, said that he will lead a delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking an increase in the State’s quota for Haj pilgrims.
The delegation from the State to meet the Prime Minister will be led by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs K Rehman Khan, who hails from the Sate.
Baig said the delegation would also meet the Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
''We want to impress upon the Centre to increase the State quota substantially to enable the people belonging to the Muslim community to undertake Haj pilgrimage,” the minister said.
He said private tour operators have been exploiting the pilgrims by charging exhorbitant prices amounting to Rs 6 to 7 lakh per person, which was beyond the means of ordinary people and even those belonging to middle classes.
Increase of the state quota would help community members belonging to poor families to undertake the pilgrimage, Baig, who is also the Haj Committee chairman said.
Haj Committee of India Chairman Mohammed Magoob Ahmed said that the state quota has been reduced from 7,000 to 4977 in this year.
The Karnataka Haj Committee received 17182 Haj applicants (including 11 infants) as on March 22, 2014 (the last date for submission of Haj applications).
Out of the total applications received, 8762 are males and 8409 are females and 11 infants. Of the total applications, 871 belong to the reserve category-A (above 70 years of age with companion) and 478 applications belong to the reserve category-B (that is 4th attempt).