Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, stated that more than 2300 Muslim women from India will go on Haj 2019 without Mehram (male companion) for the first time after Independence.2340 Muslim women from various states of the country have applied to go on Haj 2019 without Mehram
Modi Government had lifted ban on women going to Haj without Mehram last year, which resulted into about 1300 Indian Muslim women going on Haj 2018 without any male companion. They had also been exempted from the lottery system and arrangements have been made for the same this year as well.
Above 2 lakh 67 thousand applications had been received for Haj 2019 out of which 1,64,902 applications were online.
GST on Haj pilgrimage has been reduced from 18% to 5% which will ensure that about Rs 113 crore will be saved by Haj pilgrims during 2019 Haj. Reduction in GST on Haj pilgrimage will ensure significant decrease in air fare from various embarkation points, said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Air fare from Srinagar will be reduced by Rs 11377.07, Ahmadabad will be reduced by Rs 7305.95, from Aurangabad by Rs 9373.68, Delhi by Rs 7967.62, Gaya by Rs 11027.85, Guwahati by Rs 13049.63; Ranchi by Rs 11946.84, Kolkata by Rs 9787.22 and Hyderabad by Rs 7204.87 this year.
Making the Haj process completely online/digital has helped to make the process transparent and pro-pilgrims.
Source: https://krishijagran.com/news/reduction-in-gst-from-18-to-5-will-save-rs-113-crore-of-haj-pilgrims/
