Delhi Haj panel meets CM, seeks increase in quota for

New Delhi, Apr 9: A delegation of Delhi State Haj Committee (DSHC) today met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with a demand for an increase in the national capital's quota for the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Led by DSHC chairman Parvej Mian, the delegation also handed over to the chief minister a letter regarding their demand. In the letter, the committee said it had received 8,875 applications for the 2015 Haj against the allotted quota of 1,163 which, it urged, was not enough even for all the reserved category pilgrims.

"You (chief minister) are requested kindly to get at least 1,800 seats allotted to the NCT of Delhi during the Haj 2015," it said.

The Haj Quota for the year 2015 has been settled at136,020, following the closure of the Haj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed between the Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh and Saudi Minister for Haj Bandar Hajjar in Jeddah.

Of the pilgrim quota fixed for India, it has been agreed that 100,020 pilgrims will come through the Haj Committee of India (HCI) and the remaining 36,000 through private tour operators.

PTI