New Haj policy to revive sea ferry

The Centre is expected to come out with a new Haj Yatra policy this week aiming to ensure a smooth pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, government sources have said.

A key feature of the policy, expected to be implemented from the next year, will be to revive the option of sending pilgrims via the sea route to Jeddah, after a hiatus of more than two decades, they said.

The option of ferrying the faithful from the coastal city of Mumbai to Jeddah has been considered as the Supreme Court in a 2012 order asked the Centre to abolish by 2022 the airways subsidy offered to Haj pilgrims.

The government feels the sea route will help cut down travel expenses.

Muslims, however, will continue to have the option of travelling to their holiest site by air from 21 embarkation points in the country, including Delhi and Mumbai, the sources said.

Another feature of the policy is to limit the pilgrimage to once-in-a-lifetime affair, they said, adding the government will come out with the policy this week.

“It is in line with the apex court’s order and revives the option of sending pilgrims via ships to Saudi Arabia as it is a cheaper yet comfortable option,” a source said.

The practice of ferrying the pilgrims by waterways was discontinued in 1995 on account of MV Akbari, the ship that used to transport them, growing old, the source said.

On the idea of restricting the pilgrimage to once in a lifetime, another source added it is to ensure that all desirous people get a fair chance to undertake the journey. “Capping the journey to once in a lifetime will ensure fair chance for all,” the source said. A total of 1,35,000 Indians undertook the pilgrimage last year.