In his letter No. 637/JS(Gulf/Haj/99 dated 16.3.1999 regarding the Haj charter fare for 1999, Shri Talmiz Ahmad, Joint Secretary (Haj) has stated that the Delhi-Jeddah-Delhi economy class fare was $ 707.86 in 1994 and that in 1999 that was $580. Since the IATA fares quoted in dollars and since there is a worldwide inflation, I doubt if it has gone down so much in five years. This needs to be checked up.

However, what is important is that the Haj Charter fare has gone up from 74.44% of the then IATA fare to 120.63% in 1999. I have a feeling that between 1994 and 1998 the Haj charter fare had gone down further as percentage of the IATA fare in public interest it needs to be investigated why the Haj charter fare has jumped up so high in1998 and even higher in 1999 as a percentage of the IATA fare.

With my knowledge and experience, I can confidently say that the Charter return fare, based on 100% occupancy should not exceed 66.6% of the normal IATA fare inclusive of all ancillary charges and if it does one smells the odour of corruption.

In the process of inquiry you may like to obtain corresponding figures from other major countries which fly pilgrims in comparable numbers such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran.

I would once again urge that the Haj charter fare should be negotiated down to the normal percentage of LATA fare and the Haj Subsidy should be gradually reduced and eventually eliminated by raising it in terms of current rupee equivalent of 2/3 of the Haj charter fare, to begin with.

Government Statement on Haj House

The Central Government have not built any Haj House anywhere in India. The Haj Committee, Mumbai, has however, built one Haj House in Mumbai. Similarly, State Haj Committees of West Bengal and Gujarat have also built their Haj Houses at Calcutta and Ahmedabad respectively, with some financial assistance from Haj Committee, Mumbai.

The Haj House in Mumbai is quite adequate to meet the requirements of Haj pilgrims leaving for Saudi Arabia from Mumbai. (Source: LSUQ No. 3317 dated 17.3.1999)

Shahabuddin's Comments Letter to MOS , 22 March, 1999

In your reply to LSUQ No. 3317 dated 17.3.1999, you have stated that the Haj Committee has built the Haj House in Mumbai. However, the Haj House, Mumbai, was not supposed to be and is not the property of the Haj Committee. In 1977-78, to the best of my information, the Government had only authorised the Haj Committee to undertake its construction in order to expedite the project, while title and management were to be vested in a Trust hose Deed still remains to be finalised.

The Haj House was meant not only to provide office accommodation to the Haj Committee (so long as it functions in Mumbai) and accommbdation to pilgrims transitting through Mumbai but utilised for educational, cultural and social purposes outside the Haj season.

I would request you to finalise the Trust Deed so that the Haj House, Mumbai, may be formally entrusted to the Trust for management in the best interest of the community.

 Govt. Statement on Haj Management

The expenditure incurred on Haj deputationists (medical mission and administrative staff) during the last three financial years and estimated for the current year is as follows :-

Over the last three years, the number of pilgrims performing Haj through the Haj Committee has increased from about 50,000 to over 63,000 which has contributed to the increase in the number of deputationists .... (Source: LSUQ No. 3268 dated 17 March, 1999 by T. Govindan)

Government Statement On Haj Accommodation

The Consulate General of India, Jeddah assists the Teams ...           

Criteria for selection of buildings in different categories, i.e. Category-I and Category-II, is laid down by Haj Committee. There is only one uniform category of accommodation in Madinah

Category-I accommodation consists of new buildings, having lift facilities if more than four floors. These buildings have to be situated at a distance of 600 mis. From the Haram Sharief.

Category-II consists of buildings situated upto a distance of 1000 mtrs. From Haram Sharief. This category has the following three sub-categories in terms of distance from Haram Sharief:

i)                0-800 mts. from Haram Sharief;

ii)              between 800-850 mts. from Haram Sharief; and

iii)             between 850-1000 mts. from Haram Sharief

In Madinah, the criteria fixed is :-

. 30% pilgrims will be housed within the first Ring Road

. 25% on the Ring Road and

· 45% within the 750 mts. from the Masjid-e-Nabwi.

The buildings are selected by the Building Selection Teams, sent by the Haj Committee.

In Makkah, each pilgrim is provided with accommodation space of 2.5 sq. mts. in Madinah ... it can be upto 4 sq. mts. in some buildings ... (Source: LSUQ No. 3296 dated 17 March, 1999 by S.S. Owaisi)

Pakistan's Haj Policy, 1999 Shahabuddin's Letter to Minister of External Affairs, 4 March, 1999

May I draw your attention to the Haj Policy Paper of the Government of Pakistan for Haj 1999 in which following points are notable:

1) No subsidy has been extended on Haj flight but the fare Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi has been fixed at P.Rs.20,000 i.e. around I.Rs.16,000. Why should we give subsidy and, that too, not wholly to the pilgrims but to the foreign carrier.

2) The accommodation charges for Mecca has been fixed at S.Rs 600-800. Our charges are much higher.

3) Optional Insurance Scheme has been instituted.

4) Special Government quota has been abolished.

5) No one shall perform Haj at government expense. This cuts out the huge Haj Delegation we have been sending.

I request you to inquire into these aspects and at least implement 4 & 5 for this year.

Government Statement On Construction of Haj House in Delhi

The Delhi Government have provided five acres. Of land to UP Government at Okhla, New Delhi. Administrative sanction of Rs. 466.17 lakhs for the construction of a Haj House was issued by the UP Government on 26t August, 1996.

The land allotted happened to be in the green belt zone of the Delhi Master Plan. Hence, the building plan has not been approved by the Delhi Development Authority. (Source: LSUQ No. 3218 dated 17.3.1999 by R.Z. Khan)

Shahabuddin's Comments Letter to MOS 22, March, 1999

Now that Lucknow has an international airport. Haj flights should also originate from Lucknow. There is need for a Haj House in Lucknow. I believe the Government of UP are conscious of this and may drop the Okhla project.

If so, the Okhla land earmarked for Uttar Pradesh.Haj House should be transferred to Delhi Haj Committee for building a Haj House for pilgrims who would be boarding Haj flights from Delhi including pilgrims for western UP who may prefer Delhi rather than Lucknow.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Smt. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi. I request you to support the idea.

Delhi: Composition of State Haj Committee

The names of at least two dead persons, a non- existent municipal councillor and even a restaurant figure in the latest list of members of the Delhi Government's Haj Committee. Also, there are names that figure as many as four times in the list.

What takes the cake for sloppiness is .. Mahal Restaurant on Tehsildar Street, Daryaganj, which has been listed as a member of the Haj Committee.

The callous approach to the formation of the Haj Committee is evident ... Prior tot he existence of a popularly elected Government, the committee had only 25 members, as it did during the chairpersonship of Congress MLA Tajdar Babar. Under the BJP Government in the State, the number touched 184.

The current Haj committee ... is to officially have 210 members. But the list includes at least a dozen more. (Source: The Hindustan Times, 16 March, 1999)