Committee calls for hike in India's Haj Quota

Mumbai, Oct 14 (UNI) The newly-constituted Central Haz Committee has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to persuade the Saudi Arabian Government to accomodate all Haj pilgrims from India.

'' We have sought a meeting with the Prime Minister in this regard,'' Committee Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi told UNI today.

Mr Saradgi, the lone Muslim Lok Sabha member of Congress from South India, said the Committee passed a unanimous resolution to this effect in a meeting held here on Thursday. He said the issue was not on the agenda of the meeting , but it was discussed when most members wanted it. BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was among those who attended the meeting, he added.

The Committee have received 1.48 lakh applications this year against a fixed quota of one lakh , Haafiz Naushad Azmi, a Committee member from Uttar Pradesh, said. A separate quota of 47,000 is fixed for those who route their applications through private travel operators, he added.

Haj Flights from India are likely to commence from November 22.

UNI CP SA DKA MIR BST1900