The following number of deaths of Haj pilgrims was reported to Consulate General of India, Jeddah: -

(Source: LSUQ No. 3901 dated 19.4.2000 by T.Govindan)

II - On Haj 2000 Operation.

Aircrafts leased for the Haj 2000 operations and its capacity are as under :-

1 B747-100 with a capacity of 470.

2 B747-200 with a capacity of 470.

2 L1011-100 with a capacity of 320.

1 L1011-50 with a capacity of 280

The Government increased the quota of Haj pilgrims, going under the aegis of Haj Committee, Mumbai, three times during the last five years as per details below :-

(Source: LSUQ Nos. 4858 and 5041/26 and 27.4.2000 by T.C. Gehlot)

Central Haj Committee: Composition as on 13 June, 2000

Tanveer Ahmed                                                           Chairman

Gul Mohammed Mansury                                          Vice-Chairman

Nasir Jamal                                                                 Vice-Chairman

Obaidullah Khan Azmi                                               Member

M.O.H. Farook                                                           Member

Rizwan Zaheer                                                            Member

Syed Ahmed                                                               Member

Bashir Moosa Patel                                                    Member

Mirza Taqi Raza                                                         Member

Mohd. Suhail Lokhandwala                                       Member

Yusuf Abrahani                                                           Member

Shahzada Qaidjoher Bhai                                           Member

Shakeel Ahmed Ansari                                               Member

Syeda Anwara Taimur                                                Member

Syed Zahoor Qasim                                                    Member

Ministry of External Affairs:                                      Member

Ministry of Civil Aviation                                          Member

Ministry of Finance                                                    Member

Ministry of Home Affairs                                           Member

(Last six added as advised by the Supreme Court)

Supreme Court Judgement On Reconstruction of Haj Committee

.. In Writ Petition (C) No. 542 of 1997, which was filed in this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, it was stated in the counter affidavit filed on behalf of Union of India as under:

"That with respect of contents of para number 16 it is submitted that the Government is actively considering to replace the present Haj Committee Act in view of changed circumstances."

This Writ Petition was disposed of by a 3-Judge Bench [comprising S.C. Agrawal, S. Saghir Ahmad and M. Srinivasan, JJ] by the following order dated July 15, 1998:

"In view of Statement contained in the counter- affidavit filed on behalf of Union of India that the Government is actively considering to replace the present Haj Committee Act, we do not consider it necessary to deal with the questions raised in this writ petition at this stage. The writ petition is, therefore, dismissed.

In spite of the above order, a new Legislation has not been enacted and the "Haj Committee" constituted under Section 4 of the Act continues to function in which ... the officers mentioned in Section 4(1)(a) to (f) have no role to play. They are reported to be not taking any interest nor do they attend the important meetings of the "Haj Committee"

Learned Addl. Solicitor General appearing on behalf of Union of India has stated that the "Haj Committee Bill" has been prepared and cleared by the Government and that it will be placed soon on the floor of the House.

.. In any case, it is not disputed by the learned Addl. Solicitor General that with the passage of time and change in the mod of transport of the "Haj" pilgrims, the Haj Committee Act, 1959 has become obsolete and participation of the Members, at least those set out in Section 4(1)(a) to (f),has ceased to be of any relevance ...

We, therefore, provide that till the new Act or Ordinance is brought out and new and appropriate arrangements are made under that Act/ordinance for the "Haj" pilgrimage, the Foreign Secretary (at present, Mr. Lalit Mansingh] in the Ministry of External Affairs will control, supervise and oversee the performance of the present "Haj Committee" and it will be in his discretion to nominee, in place of Members indicated in Section 4(1)(a) to (f), such persons of merit and high integrity as would be useful in the proper management of "Haj" affairs, on the Committee ... We may make it clear that in selecting persons for nomination, it would be open to the Foreign Secretary to pick up any experienced Member(s) from the past "Haj Committees" constituted during the last 15 to 20 years ... The "Haj Committee" so constituted, we may repeat, shall function under the direct supervision and control of the Foreign Secretary and none of its decision  would be given effect to unless approved by the Foreign Secretary himself ....