Cutback in quota hits Haj aspirants, pvt operators hard

LUCKNOW: Over a thousand Haj aspirants from the state capital have been left in the lurch after their private tour operators expressed inability to send them to the pilgrimage this year. These operators have not been allotted the “quota”, which is a prerequisite for sending their clients for Haj. Now, the aspirants have been asked to take back the money they submitted as advance four months ago.

These aspirants are additional to those who go through government arranged tour. The government at the Centre has announced a 20% cut in Haj quota for the state, the brunt of which is squarely being borne by private tour operators. This year, only three of the nine prominent private travel operators (PTOs) have been authorised to organise the pilgrimage from Lucknow. Plus, the minimum number of pilgrims has been reduced from 150 per PTO to 50 per PTO.

“I had submitted Rs 35,000 for each of my parents-in-law with Mirza Tour and Travels in March this year. Now they want me to take the money back,” said Shafey Kidwai, an AMU professor, whose wife’s family lives in Lucknow.

This year, the Saudi Arabia government has imposed reduction in quota for smooth conduct of the infrastructure work being carried out around the Haram Sharif (the main mosque in Mecca). As a result, 34,005 seats out of the existing quota of 45,000 for PTOs have been slashed, bringing down their share to a paltry 10,995.

“We have not been allotted any quota this year. So we are returning the money that we received in advance from people,” said Mirza Mohd Haleem, of the Mirza Tour and Travels. The travel agencies in the city that have been allotted quota include Heena Travel Service (50), Hind Travels (50) and Mehdi Tours and Travels (57). This means only 157 people could go for the annual Haj pilgrimage through private operators from Lucknow this year. Last year, the number crossed 1,000. Nearly 30,000 devotees will be leaving for the 40-day long annual journey to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia from the state capital nearly two months from now through government arrangement. A number of aspirants who fail to find a spot in the draw of lots usually go through private tours.