NEW DELHI, Feb 12: The Union Government has asked the Cabinet to clear Rs 122 crore as this year's Haj subsidy. The formal Cabinet note seeking the augmented subsidy which has been circulated to the Union Ministries of Finance and External Affairs was sent two days ago to the Cabinet Secretariat.Sources say the Cabinet's decision is expected shortly. This year, 66,000 people are expected to make the Haj pilgrimage beginning March 1 and returning on May 12. The Central Haj Committee, the nodal body for the pilgrimage, has increased the number of pilgrims by 5,000 from last year.
The pilgrims will be picked up by Indian Airlines from Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Calcutta. Earlier, Air India expressed its inability to the Government to fly special flights for the pilgrimage as it would have entailed a ``complete disruption'' of its schedule.
The note, sent by Union Minister for Aviation C M Ibrahim, seeks Rs 18,800 for each pilgrim up from Rs 14,900 last year. A spokesman from Ibrahim's office confirmed thatthe Cabinet note seeking the increased subsidy had been circulated.
Sources say Ibrahim ``overruled'' a proposal from the Finance Ministry last week to peg the subsidy at 30 per cent of the airfare.
Ibrahim noted on the file that the matter be treated with great urgency and the Cabinet give sanction to the proposed subsidy. When the note was prepared, Minister of State Jayanti Natarajan was in Chennai recovering from a surgery. Under the Rules of Business of the Union Cabinet, the Haj subsidy comes under the MEA. It had asked AI to float a global tender and charter three flights for the ``special Haj schedule.'' AI chartered three flights on a short-term wet lease which would cost $560 dollars per head.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
