80% drop in applications for Haj 2021

PRAYAGRAJ : There has been an 80% drop in the number of aspirants for 2021 Haj due to the Covid-19 pandemic despite the extension of the last date for submitting application to January 10 by the Haj Committee of India, officials said.

“No Haj was undertaken in 2020. In 2019, we had 34,379 applicants from Uttar Pradesh. However, for the Haj 2021, only 5,788 applications were received for the annual pilgrimage, amounting to a fall of around 80%,” said Rahul Gupta, secretary, UP Haj Committee.

This is the lowest ever number of applications received for Haj in UP till date.

The window for submitting applications had opened on November 7 and the last date for depositing the form was December 10, 2020, which was extended till January 10, 2021. However, the pandemic seems to have prevented people from applying.

“Restriction on kids and senior citizens on undertaking the pilgrimage has also greatly contributed to fall in the number of applicants as a major chunk usually comprised of older people,” Gupta said.

Lucknow has emerged as the district with most applicants (362 applications) followed by Moradabad with 265 applicants and Bijnor with 249 applicants.

In 2021, the Haj is scheduled for June-July and the entire process is being followed as per the guidelines issued by the governments of Saudi Arabia and India in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, said officials. This time only people in the age group of 18 to 65 years can apply and no infant or child is allowed, they added.

Considering the pandemic situation, the embarkation points for Haj-2021 have also been reduced to 10 from earlier 21 across the country. For Haj 2021, the 10 embarkation points include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar.

After discussions with Saudi Arabia, the embarkation pointwise estimated cost per Haj pilgrim has been reduced this time. The estimated cost per pilgrim after reduction is approximately Rs 3.30 lakh for Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Rs 3.50 lakh for Bengaluru, Lucknow, Delhi and Hyderabad, Rs 3.60 lakh for Cochin and Srinagar, Rs 3.70 lakh for Kolkata and Rs 4 lakh for Guwahati.