January 16, 2018: The Centre has abolished Haj subsidy from this year. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi informed that a record number of one lakh 75 thousand Muslims will undertake the Haj pilgrimage from India without any subsidy this year.
He said the subsidy will now be utilized for educational empowerment of girls and women from the minority community. He said, this is part of the government policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement. Mr Naqvi said, the government will start Haj pilgrimage through ships in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the Congress said it has no issue with the government’s decision to abolish the subsidy.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said government has withdrawn it four years before the date prescribed by the Supreme Court. He expressed hope that government will implement the second part of the apex court’s Judgment.
In 2012, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to do away with the subsidy in a phased manner in ten years.
The Court had also asked the government to see that the money is used for the upliftment of the community in education and other indices of social development. (AIR News)
