Record number of 200K Haj pilgrims from India this year

hyderabad — With a record number of 200,000 pilgrims from India set to perform Haj this year, efforts are on to organise the required manpower for the biggest man management exercise undertaken by India outside its border, officials said.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs will depute 638 officials to the Consulate General of India in Jeddah while the Consulate General will engage an equal number of personnel temporarily.

With Saudi Arabia increasing India’s Haj quota by 25,000, the highest ever number of Indians will perform Haj this year. This number will be next only to Indonesia’s 231,000 including an increase of 10,000 this year. It was in February during the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India that an increase in India’s Haj quota was announced. This was the third hike in as many years.

Saudi Arabia on April 18 issued formal orders after which the Minority Affairs Ministry began arranging necessary manpower.

The Ministry has decided that out of the additional 25,000 quota, 15,000 will be allotted to Haj Committee of India (HCOI) and 10,000 to Private Tour Operators (PTOs). Thus, 140,000 pilgrims are expected to come through HCOI and 60,000 through PTOs, India’s newly appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ausaf Sayeed said.

The number of deputationists include coordinators (7), doctors (168), Assistant Haj Officers (62), paramedics (185) and Haj Assistants (216). The Ministry’s Haj Division is conducting the selection process to select the officials working in the central government, state governments, union territory administrations, central and state public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies. —