New Delhi: In an important decision, the government has decided to go ahead with the annual Haj subsidy in 2012 as well. It has decided to go ahead with the subsidy despite demands from certain quarters, including some Muslim groups, that this subsidy be done away with as it is “unislamic”. However, the government has decided to restrict it to “only once in a pilgrim’s lifetime” as against the existing once in five years.
Union minister of external affairs S.M. Krishna had recently stated that the Centre was having “second thoughts” on continuing Haj subsidy. However, the government has now made its stand clear on the issue in its new Haj policy for the year 2012, filed as part of an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday (a copy is with this newspaper).
“This is a major change introduced for the first time. Restrict the number of pilgrimages to a Haj applicant through Haj Committee of India(HCOI) to once in a lifetime as against the existing once in five years. This will ensure that a Haji will benefit from GOI subsidy only once in his/her lifetime,” the affidavit stated.
15/04/12 Thufail P.T/Deccan Chronicle
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