Kerala urges Centre to increase Haj quota

Thiruvananthapuram, July 3 (UNI) Kerala Local Self Government Minister Paloli Muhammed Kutty today urged the Centre to increase the Haj quota to the state.

In a statement to the Union Government, the Minister, who is also in-charge of Haj Affairs, demanded an increase in the Haj quota considering the increasing number of Haj applications, a release here said.

Mr Muhammed Kutty said the number of applicants to perform the Haj through the state government system this year was 6,000 more, than the previous year. Besides this, about 5,000 persons, who could not go last year, were also in the waiting list.

Stating that the number of applicants were increasing each year, he said the quota alloted by the Central Haj Committee was only 6,177 as against the more than 20,000 people waiting for the pilgrimage.

UNI