Malappuram/Kerala: The uncertainty regarding the journey of those waiting to go for Hajj through private operators is yet to be cleared. The journey of 42,500 pilgrims who were supposed to leave India through private tour operators has become uncertain after the procedures were not completed before the closure of Saudi Arabia's Hajj portal. When private tour operators say that the central government did not inform them on time about the procedures that should have been completed last February. However, the government claims that the reason for the crisis is the operators' lapses, reports Madhyamam.
It was hoped that the Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia would finally bring a solution, but it was learned that it did not work. The Prime Minister cut short his trip and returned to India following the Pahalgam terror attack. It is not clear whether this issue was not discussed because the trip was cut short.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia had earlier announced that it would give an opportunity to ten thousand more people for Hajj. Accordingly, the Hajj portal (Nusukh) was opened on Thursday evening, but Hajj operators say that the uploading is not happening. This portal will be closed after May 5. Only less than 500 pilgrims from Kerala will have the opportunity to participate in this quota.
About 11,000 people from Kerala alone were preparing to go through private tour operators. Apart from the authorized agencies in Kerala, so many people were preparing to travel through agencies in other states. Private agencies set the rates up to Rs. 6 lakh. Many have paid the first instalment or the entire amount. Agencies say that the advance amount collected from the pilgrims was paid to the central government.
Many of those who were preparing to go for Hajj through the government Hajj Committee in Kerala had switched to private operators expecting more facilities. In the meantime, private operators had reduced the rates to attract pilgrims. Now, all those who have switched are in crisis.
Private operators have not received any new notifications regarding the pilgrims' travel arrangements. As per the India-Saudi agreement, 1,75,000 people from India have been given the opportunity to perform Hajj. Of this, 30 per cent was allocated to private operators. Accordingly, 52,500 people are leaving for Hajj through private groups. It was this quota that had been cancelled.