Introduce International Tender for Haj Charter & Abolish Subsidy
Haj Subsidy has been hanging like an albatross round the neck of successive governments.  Any subsidy once granted tends to develop its own vested interest and no government can easily muster the political will to abolish it.
During the last 25 years, the purchasing power of the Rupee has been reduced to 10 per cent.  Its exchange value in terms of Dollars and Riyals is about 25 per cent of what it was.  Every item of common expenditure, in India or abroad, from rickshaw fare to bus tickets, an ordinary meal, even a cup of tea, has gone up.   A set of ordinary clothes, even a piece of soap costs at least 3 to 4 times more.  Yet, the Haj charter fare first fixed in the late 1970s at Rs.8,000, and later revised to Rs.12,000 has remained constant. Any suggestion to reduce or abolish it raises a storm in a section of the Muslim community and the Government gets cold feet. No other Muslim country, not even Pakistan or Bangladesh subsidizes Haj.  Surprisingly, even the NDA Government which ruled for six years let it continue, while the air charter fare went up and the cost of subsidy crossed the 200 crore mark.
Why did successive governments, those accused of pampering Muslims as well as those charged with baiting Muslims in every way they can, continue the subsidy?  Why cannot the outlay on subsidy be shifted to educational and economic development of the Community?  Perhaps it is a token substitute for its overall callousness and injustice towards a deprived community.  After making routine attacks, perhaps, the Muslim-baiters are also glad in their heart of hearts to have in their hands a stick to beat the Muslims with and to secure increasing facilities for developing religious  tourism and ostentatious bandobust  for the  melas, a few Urs  thrown in to give it a secular taste.
Leaving politics aside, the Haj subsidy,  whether direct or indirect, whether paid directly to the beneficiary or to the airlines on his behalf, is not the same thing as administrative bandobust for any mass occasion.  As a subsidy for religious purpose, it is constitutionally untenable.  It also violates the clear mandate of the Parliament.  Above all, the Haj subsidy, is against the Shariat because Haj is a duty only for a Muslim who can afford it. Ironically the Haj subsidy makes no distinction between the rich and the poor; it is available even to those who pay income-tax or indulge in luxury shopping in Saudi Arabia.  In a way, Haj subsidy merely subsidizes Haj shopping by Indian pilgrims and thus? the Saudi Arabian economy. Most pilgrims who come from rural areas and for whom Haj is their first foreign journey, perhaps their first journey outside their district, and who plan for years to muster resources for the Haj, inspired by the desire to gain spiritual merit, are not aware of the impact of subsidy on the merit they seek.
A pilgrims spends on an average of about Rs.70,000 on his Haj, from door to door.  It includes the Compulsory Haj Dues payable to Saudi Arabian authorities,also pandas in the charges of hereditary, Muallims, akin to Hindu Tirathsthans to whom the pilgrims are arbitrarily assigned and whose face they never see! 
Supposing there was no subsidy and the Haj charter fare was brought down through competent negotiation, given 100 per cent occupancy to the universally accepted norm of 75 per cent of the Return IATA Fare in Dollars, the pilgrim could easily manage another 10-15,000 and do without any subsidy.  This year Air India Charter fare for Delhi/Bombay to Jeddah and back exceeds the IATA fare of $ 722 by nearly 50%.  It is Rs 36,000 against Rs 24,000!  Even if it was 24,000 & there was no subsidy, the pilgrim could manage another Rs12,000.
Nearly 50 per cent  pilgrims perform  Haj through tour operators and pay much more for better accommodation and tastier food.  Such pilgrim do not receive the subsidy.
Even a cursory view of the State-wise break-up of pilgrims shows, that in proportion to their Muslim population, richer States send more pilgrims.  This is natural because the rich can afford the Haj more easily.  But, it is they who largely benefit from the subsidy. 
This year the Supreme Court has maintained the status quo for Haj 2006 (II) because it was too close to the event to make any changes and would have caused much difficulty to the pilgrims if they were asked to pay the full charter fare at the last minute.  But, the Supreme Court is not likely to allow any subsidy in Haj 2007.
Through out,  from its very inception in the 20’s of the last century, the Haj Committee’s main responsibility was arranging transportation of pilgrims, their accommodation, provision facilities in India and Saudi Arabia and overseeing the arrangements made for them in Saudi Arabia by the local or  Indian authorities. Even the current Act clearly lays down transportation of pilgrims as the responsibility of the Haj Committee.  One simply doesnot understand why the Committee has been deprived of this basic duty and responsibility and the Government itself is making charter arrangements and granting a monopoly to Air India!  This breeds the rumour that Air India  Air India indeed doesnot have enough aircrafts and leases dilapidated aircrafts from unknown companies.  Mostly it gives Air India an opportunity to expand its temporary establishment, lavishly hire additional staff, and provide non-essential services for the pilgrims. being subsidised to reduce its losses!
The only way out is to restore this responsibility to the Haj Committee which is a statutory body under the control of the Ministry of External Affairs and which has high ranking officers of the Ministries of Finance, Civil Aviation, Home and External Affairs on it, apart from representatives of the Parliament and State Haj Committees and eminent Muslim figures from various walks of life.  The Haj Committee was created in order to delink the Government from Haj management.  Why should it not be trusted to arrange the Haj charter.?   The Government should direct the Haj Committee to float an international tender to select a suitable carrier with a fleet of air-worthy aircrafts in adequate numbers and negotiate with the short-listed bidders to reduce the charter fare below the magic formula of 75% of IATA fare.
Instead of two classes of pilgrims, all pilgrims should travel by the Haj charter.  But those wanting a deluxe Haj may obtain the services of tour operators for boarding and lodging in Saudi Arabia.
New Delhi,
1 October, 2006       

On Reform & Reorganisation of Haj Management
As a person associated with the management of Haj, in on capacity or the other, for more than 45 years, I was really shocked by the news reports on the difficulties faced by the pilgrims during Haj 2008, particularly while returning to India at the ports of embarkation in Saudi Arabia as well as the points of the disembarkation in India.  This caused unprecedented pandemonium at the All India Haj Conference in Delhi on 2 April, 2008. This has brought to the fore the question of reform & reorganization of the Haj arrangement and to amend the Haj Act, if necessary.
Distribution of the Haj Quota         
The basic foundation is the distribution of the Haj quota released by Saudi Arabia for India to various States/UTs.  Since we have no shortage of foreign exchange, no Haj quota is imposed by the Indian authorities but the Government of Saudi Arabia, considering the limited space at Mina and Arafat in consultation with the Ulema has decided to have an informal ‘quota’ of 1,000 for every million of Muslim population in any country.  India thus has a quota of 1,50,000.  Unfortunately, this quota is not available to all Pilgrims in equal measure. Nearly one third, 50,000, is siphoned off for Haj Tour Operators (HTOs), who cater to the richer pilgrims and are particularly active in a few States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.  Many difficulties arise because of this division of pilgrims between the Haj Committee (HC) and the HTO’s.  Most importantly, this division denies equality of opportunity and gives unfair advantage to some States over the others.  The first reform that Haj management needs is to distribute the entire quota among all States in proportion to their Muslim population, and not divide it arbitrarily between the HC and the HTO’s.  The pilgrims should have the option to perform Haj through the Haj Committee or through the HTO’s & indicate it in their applications to the State HC. 
Secondly, States and UTs, which have small Muslim population & therefore generate limited number of applications, say below 500, need not be processed individually but clubbed together, or with applications from a neighbouring & contiguous State, to form a Haj unit. They also need not have their separate Haj Committees.          
If the numbers of applications from a State/Haj Unit are less than its quota, all applicants should be immediately advised of their acceptance after eligibility check.  In case the number of applicants exceeds the State/Haj Unit quota, the selection should be made by a qurra and the balance accommodated in proportion to the number of surplus applications against the unutilized quota.          
Before the State quotas are fixed the Central Government should review its own seat requirement for Haj Mission and Medical Mission, etc. as well as for catering to requests from VIPs.  This Central Quota should be kept at the minimum and released before the Haj flights begin.
Role of Haj Tour Operators (HTO’s)         
Haj Tour Operators should be registered by the HC and report the particulars of the pilgrims who have signed with them, state-wise both to the HC as well as to the Consul General of India, Jeddah (CGI).  The CGI should also be informed about their flight particulars and places of stay and names of their Moallims.  Such pilgrims shall be adjusted against the final State quotas.         
It is shocking that a particular HTO known as Al Hind Tour and Travel whose owner and management are said to be close to the Minister of State for Haj and is awarded a big quata has been accused of blackmarketing in visas, which are issued free of charges.   The arbitrary allotment of Haj quotas to HTOs must stop.  Every year there are many complaints against some HTOs.  Such HTOs may be deregistered by the HC on review.
Advance Payment by Pilgrims to HC         
The next important aspect is the requirement by the    HC for a minimum advance deposit.  As far as Haj Dues payable to Saudi Arabian authorities are concerned, they are fixed. 
Since there is no foreign exchange control and the release needed by a pilgrim is well within the limit set by the RBI for foreign travel. There is no reason for the HC to deal with this aspect.   The pilgrims should draw the foreign exchange in cash or in travelers cheques/ from the main branch of the SBI/any  authorized bank in the district.  But HC must ensure directly that such banks are available at each district headquarters.
The third and the most important element relates to the advance of Haj Charter Fare. This is directly related to the choice of the air carrier and fixation of charter fare.  So, the HC may ask for a suitable advance amount, say Rs.10,000, along with the application with the balance being payable before embarkation.
No Air India Monopoly on Haj Charter Service            Over the years, a national consensus has emerged that Haj charter service should not be a monopoly of Air India (AI), and that both the selection of the carrier and the fixation of the Haj charter fare should be the exclusive responsibility of the Haj Committee.  For this purpose the Haj Committee should issue a global tender giving its precise requirements in terms of type of aircraft, the year of registration and seating capacity.  The short-listed bidders, which may include the AI, are expected to compete against each other and for this purpose the HC, with the approval of the MEA, should set up a Charter Negotiating Committee consisting of the Chairman of the Haj Committee, one of the Vice-Chairmen and two Members of the Committee representing the States which had the largest number of pilgrims in the previous year and representatives of Ministries of External Affairs, Finance and Civil Aviation, with Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as technical advisor.  The charter fare should be fixed basically for flights from Delhi/Mumbai to Jeddah & back on the basis of the current IATA fares in US Dollars.  The Charter fare should not normally exceed 2/3 of the current IATA fares.  For other boarding points, an additional amount not exceeding 2/3 of the normal internal fare may be added.              
The Government of India should, at this stage, through the CGI approach the Saudi Arabian authorities to indicate whether they would like to participate in the Haj traffic or receive a royalty.  If they wish to share the Haj traffic, they may be assigned either outward or inward Haj flights or both ways from specific points; otherwise, the royalty may be paid to them under the normal formula, which can be added to the charter fare.           
After the carrier is selected but before the agreement is signed, the carrier must indicate the air-worthiness of the aircrafts and get them duly certified by the DGCA. The carrier should agree to position the aircrafts at the specific airports at least 24 hours in advance of the date and time of embarkation.
Arrangement for Charter Flight         
In dealing with the selected carrier it is for the Haj Committee to indicate the services to be provided for the pilgrims at the embarkation / disembarkation points in India and Saudi Arabia. When flights are delayed carrier should make reasonable arrangements for boarding and lodging of pilgrims during the wait.
Excess baggage charge should be published in advance.   No pilgrim should be allowed to exceed the specified limit of excess baggage beyond 5 kgs even on payment of excess charges. The carrier should agree to reimburse the pilgrims if the baggage is lost in transit or delayed in delivery.           
It should be a part of the contract with the carrier that it shall transport 5-litre cans of zamzam water free of charge which can be deposited in   advance with the agent of the carrier for delivery to the pilgrims on return in India pilgrims who travel by Haj charters should have the option of choosing the point of embarkation because some pilgrims from districts in one State close to the point of embarkation in another State may find it more convenient.  This can be adjusted within the district batching system. But they should intimate their choice to the HC, before the charter flights are finalized.
Question of Haj Subsidy         
The Government of India should at this stage decide whether it proposes to subsidize the Haj traffic and if so to what extent.  It is well known that the cost of all goods & services, both in India and in Saudi Arabia, has risen since the charter fare was last fixed.  Therefore, the amount payable by the pilgrims has to increase, in proportion to global inflation (indicated by rise in the IATA fare). Gradually the subsidy can be reduced and eventually eliminated, as desired by the Parliamentary Committee. 
In fact, there is rising demand for the abolition of the Haj subsidy because Haj is a religious duty only for those who can bear its expenses.  Morevoer, the overall cost of Haj is touching Rs.85-90,000 and an average pilgrim is not inclined to let the Government subsidy ‘soil’ his Haj. This is a theological question, more than a legal or financial question.
Introduction of District Batching System                  
One desirable reform is to organize the pilgrims in district wise batches (roughly in plane loads) so that they get to know, communicate with & learn to help each other.  Each batch should have a small Medical Assistance Team and a Haj Assistant with administrative experience, preferably a Government servant selected by the State Government and a Khadimul Hujjaj, nominated by the State Haj Committee.  The Medical Assistance Team should consist of one general physician, one pharmacist, and one male nurse.       
Each batch, along with the service providers, should undergo Haj training together and elect one from among them as its Amir-ul-Haj.   The batch should be booked of one Haj flight and as far as possible, be accommodated in the same or adjacent buildings, in Mecca/Madina, have a common Moallim assigned to it by the Saudi Arabian authorities (who should maintain an office near their accommodation), move to Mina, Arafat and Madina together and finally return by a common flight.             During their stay in Saudi Arabia, the Khadimul Hujjaj and the Haj Assistant should deal with all problems the pilgrims face & secure the help of the Haj Mission/CGI to the extent necessary.  Similarly, the Medical Assistance Team should work under the supervision of the Haj Medical Mission and obtain requisite supply of medicines from the Central pool as well as facilities for specialised treatment/hospitalization. The selection of the members of both the Medical Mission and the Haj Mission should be made by the MEA but not exclusively from Central Government employees, so that all States are equitably represented.
Accommodation Arrangement in Saudi Arabia         
For accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, the present system is so complicated that no responsibility can be fixed for poor or dishonest selection.  Just as Haj transport from and back to India should be the exclusive responsibility of the HC, similarly, the selection of Haj accommodation should be the exclusive responsibility of the CGI, once the framework is decided through consultation between the HC and the CGI keeping in view the difficulties faced by the pilgrims in the last Haj and their normal requirements.  The HC should not depute its members individually or in teams to participate in the selection as a joint approval not only introduces complications but diffuses responsibility and has proved to be counter-productive. It is suggested that all pilgrims should have uniform accommodation.              
The CGI should ensure that each batch of pilgrims as far as possible is accommodated in the same or neighbouring buildings because they are to be serviced by a common Khadimul Hujjaj, Medical Assistance Team and Haj Assistant.               
The Pilgrims should have the option to make their own arrangements in hotels/ with relatives, thus also opting of various services provided for the batches.
GOI Should raise with the Govt. of Saudi Arabia the question of payment of compensation for acquired Rubats & for allotment of alternate sites for substitutes  
Duties of CGI & Haj Mission        
To receive the pilgrims on disembarkation and see them off on embarkation should be a basic responsibility of the CGI/Haj Mission.  In fact, the CGI should maintain a continuous presence at the airport and maintain constant liaison with the incoming & outgoing pilgrims and assist them & secure the help of the Saudi Arabian authorities or the airport authorities or the carrier to resolve any difficulties that might arise,  During the departure, particularly, the CGI should have a round-the-clock presence at the airport.  For the people who wish to return earlier or later than scheduled, the responsibility for shifting them should lie with the CGI, who should adjust them against vacancies & intimate the changes to the carrier.
The CGI should organize progressive repatriation of the Haj Medical Mission/Haj Mission, whose strength should be systematically reduced as the number of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia goes down.  Every deputationist does not have to stay in Saudi Arabia for the entire Haj season. 
Monitoring Moallims as well as HTOs         
The CGI must also keep a tab on the performance of the Moallims as well as the HTO’s.  For the first, he should report the matter forthwith to the Saudi Arabian authorities so that these Moallims are de-registered by them or at least shifted from the Indian pilgrims.   Many instances have been reported during Haj 2008 of the discriminatory treatment meted out by some Moallims to the Indian pilgrims in Mina as well as at the airport.         
As for HTO’s, any complaints against them should be conveyed to the MEA which should de-register them for the next Haj.  As stated earlier, there should be no official quota assigned for the tour operators, who should compete among themselves and take the pilgrims who opt for their services.  The HTO’s should be required to inform the Ministry, the HC and the CGI of their detailed service tariff so that on receipt of a complaint the veracity can be verified.
Supervision of Arrangement in Mina & Arafat       
The Moallims have the responsibility to make timely arrangement for the movement of pilgrims & for their accommodation in Mina & Arafat.  Saudi Arabian authorities have now decided that Indian pilgrims shall as far as possible be allotted adjoining space in Mina and the Moallims shall not use this space for  pilgrims from other countries or for non-IIC pilgrims.  Similarly, in Mina and Arafat the responsibility for providing food lies with the Moallims.  The CGI should check in advance the quality and quantity of food and take serious note of any non-fulfillment. 
Abolition of Official Haj Delegation         
The Government of India sends a Haj Goodwill Delegation every year formally to convey felicitations of the Government and the people of India to His Majesty the Khadimul Haramain Sharifain after the Haj when he camps in Mina.  The secondary purpose is for the government to have a report on the difficulties faced by the Indian pilgrims and the performance and efficiency of the CGI, the Haj Mission and the Haj Medical Mission. The delegation is expected to submit a written report to the Government but one wonders when it was last submitted.  It is suggested that the entire exercise which costs nearly three crores every year should be totally done away with and instead a small delegation of not more than three persons, led perhaps by a Central or State Minister, the other two chosen from among the eminent pilgrims themselves, should along with the Ambassador felicitate His Majesty.             
The Delegation has become, over the years, an exercise in blatant political patronage.  A majority of members are unknown persons with no particular social or public service to their credit, but recommended by the VIPs.  The Delegation is completely cut off from the pilgrims because the members stay in 5-star hotels and have cars at their exclusive disposal.  They normally take their wives & children along, against the rule.  This should be strictly banned.
Quality of Service to Pilgrims         
Over the years, the total expenditure on the welfare of the pilgrims has gone up by leaps and bounds but the service provided to the pilgrims still leaves much to be desired.  What is needed is total commitment, round the clock supervision of the arrangements by the CGI and his senior officers including the Members of the Medical Mission who should personally visit rented buildings and speak to the pilgrims and attend to their difficulties face to face.  This personal attention cannot be substituted by additional staff.        
It has also been alleged that in selecting Haj accommodation, the officials engage in underhand transactions with the owners.  The Saudi Arabian authorities do not indicate a proper charge for unit accommodation and yet insist that every pilgrim before arrival should have an identifiable accommodation.  This sets up a competition among countries with large contingents of pilgrims.  This is an administrative problem to be tackled by the CGI.         
The deputation by the Government of India of a team to Saudi Arabia for pre-Haj discussions with the Saudi Arabian authorities also appears to be unnecessary.  The Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the CGI and the Chairman of the HC are adequate to negotiate with the Saudi Arabian authorities on the framework for the next Haj.  Only if some points remain unresolved, the Minister concerned should visit Saudi Arabia to tackle them.  The Government should take the initiative to hold pre-Haj exchange of views with other major countries with large contingents of pilgrims, like Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey & Nigeria both in Delhi and in Jeddah on common problems.
To sum up, some policy decisions are needed to reorganize and improve Haj management;

1. Equitable and proportionate distribution and processing of the entire quota to all States/UTs in proportion to their Muslim population.
2. Exclusive jurisdiction of Haj Committee over Haj charter  arrangements under the supervision of the MEA.
3. Exclusive jurisdiction of the CGI over selection of accommodation in Makkah and Madina  under the supervision of the MEA.
4. Fixation of the Haj air charter fare through negotiation with short listed   carriers selected through global tender.
5. Phased reduction & eventual abolition of Haj subsidy.            
6. Withdrawal of the Haj Committee from the business of providing foreign exchange to the pilgrims.      
7. Introduction of District Batching System so that Haj pilgrims, largely from the same district, travel to Saudi Arabia, stay, move &  return to India as a group with their own Khadimul Hujjaj and Medical Assistance Team and Haj Assistant appointed by the State Haj Committee, the  State Government and Amirul Hujjaj elected from among them. 
8. Batch-wise accommodation in Mecca and Madina. Designation of Moallims batch-wise.
9. Abolition of the Official Haj Goodwill Delegation to Saudi Arabia.
10. Amendment to the Haj Act to shift the Haj Committee to Delhi, to provide annual grant-in-aid by the Central Government for meeting expenditure on Haj management and for the annual report to be tabled  in the Parliament.