OVER ONE LAKH HAJIS WILL BE GOING FOR PILGRIMAGE THIS YEAR

Our Correspondent/ New Delhi

Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of Haj pilgrims in a ceremony at Indira Gandhi International Airport . The flight carrying 340 hajis took off at 2.30 a.m. on 4th august, 2016.

The Hajis from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand will be leaving from Delhi embarkation point. About 12500 Hajis of these states will proceed from Delhi embarkation point. The number of hajisfrom various states who will proceed from Delhi are –
Delhi 1341
Uttar Pradesh 8690
Haryana 1045
Himachal Pradesh 91
Chandigarh 73
Uttarakhand 864

For Haj 2016, total 1,00,020 Haj pilgrims will proceed to Jeddah for haj pilgrimage from 21 points across India through Haj Commiittee. Apart from this, 36,000 Haj pilgrims will proceed through the private tour operators.
1,00,020 pilgrims of Haj Committee of India will be airlifted by four airlines -Air India, Saudi Arabian airlines, Spicejetand Nas Airlines from all these 21 embarkation points.

Minister for Minority Affairs  Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi greeting the Haj Pilgrims, during the first flight flag-off ceremony, in New Delhi