SC fixes May 7 for hearing Centre's appeals on Haj subsidy

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The Supreme Court today fixed May 7 as the date of hearing of appeals filed by the Centre and All India Muslim Personal Law Board challenging the Allahabad High Court judgement directing the government not to provide any subsidy to Haj pilgrims.

Solicitor General G E Vahanvati brought the matter before a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendaran and D K Jain for an early hearing as the process of sending Haj pilgrims to Macca-Madina in Saudi Arabia was to commence soon.

Last year the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of High Court judgement for an year and had permitted the Centre to provide subsidy to Haj pilgrims.

The Centre now is praying for extension of the stay for this year too.

The petitioner in the High Court had challenged the government policy of providing subsidy to Haj pilgrims on the grounds that it was against the principle of secularism as followers of no other religion were provided such subsidy and the government had to bear a burden of an estimated Rs 280 crore per year for providing subsidies to over a lakh Haj pilgrims every year.

The Centre in its response had contended that subsidies are being provided to the pilgrims of other religions too and the government policy on providing subsidied to Haj pilgrims did not violate any principle of secularism and equality.

The apex court last year had asked the Centre to explain how much subsidy was being provided to the followers of other religions while on a pilgrimage.

UNI