Srinagar, July 12: In a significant development today Minister for Hajj Services, Ajaz Ahmad Khan said people going on the Hajj pilgrimage through private tour companies henceforth shall be provided facilities at Hajj House here.
 The minister was speaking at the ‘first-ever Hajj Conference’ held by private Hajj and Umrah operating companies at SKICC on Tuesday.
  “People who go on the Hajj pilgrimage through private operators, will be provided facilities in the Hajj House from this year and for that the private operators have to coordinate with us,” Khan said addressing the gathering at the conference.
 He said coordination among the Central-State Hajj Committees and Airports Authority, as also different tour operators was important to give trouble free services to Hajjis.
 Khan said the unregistered Hajj and Umrah Operators should register themselves to get quota from the government.
 “It’s important for the unregistered companies to fulfill all the formalities provided by the ministry of external affairs for registration. Once they do that then only can we provide them the quota”, he said.    
 During the conference, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Association of Hajj and Umrah Companies (JKAHUC), Abdul Rashid Mir said that at present the state government is given 5000 seats as Hajj quota by the Central Hajj Committee out of which only 300 seats are allotted to the private operators in the state.
 Mir said since the private tour operators were a “major employment generation industry, our quota should be increased to at least 1500 seats.”
 He further said that the current Hajj quota allotted to J&K, a Muslim majority state, is very less.”
 The JKAHUC Chairman said the conference was held to discuss several issues pertaining to private Hajj aspirants and private tour operators.
 The Conference was attended by various religious scholars.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST