Kerala tops the list of states from where the maximum number of applications are received for the Islamic pilgrimage of Haj. In all, the government has received 4.48 lakh applications for this year.
According to the figures compiled by the ministry of minority affairs, "maximum applications have been received from Kerala (95,236), followed by Maharashtra (57,246), Gujarat (57,225), Uttar Pradesh (51,375), Jammu and Kashmir (35,217), Madhya Pradesh (24,875), Karnataka (23,514) and Telangana (20,635)".
"There has been expansion in India’s annual Haj quota by Saudi Arabia government. Haj quota of the states was released on March 9 2017 and process for selection of pilgrims through draw of lots will start from 14 March," a statement by ministry of minority affairs said.
Saudi Arabia has increased annual Haj quota of India by 34,005. The decision in this regard was taken during signing of bilateral annual Haj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia by Union Minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Haj and Umrah minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten at Jeddah in January this year.
It is the biggest expansion in the quota of Haj pilgrims from India after several years. About 99,903 people went to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for Haj from 21 embarkation points across India through Haj Committee of India during Haj 2016. Apart from this, about 36,000 Haj pilgrims had proceeded for Haj through the private tour operators.
For Haj 2017, a total of 1,70,025 people will go to Haj pilgrimage from India out of which 1,25,025 pilgrims will go through Haj Committee of India while 45,000 people will go through private tour operators.
Naqvi has been pushing to make the Haj process digital. A total of 1,29,196 applications were filed online. The highest number of online applications were received from Kerala (34,783), followed by Maharashtra (24,627), Uttar Pradesh (10,215), Gujarat (10,071), Jammu and Kashmir (8227) and Rajasthan (8091).
It is for the first time that Haj application process was made digital.
