the goan I network
MARGAO
With subsidies for the annual Haj pilgrimage slashed with each passing year, the fate of Muslim pilgrims going on a Haj pilgrimage from Goa hangs in balance as travelling to Mecca by flight will be cheaper if one takes the flight from Mumbai than via the Dabolim airport.
In fact, Chairman of Goa Haj Committee and vice-chairman of the All India Haj Committee, Sheikh Jina told the media on Wednesday that the air fare from Mumbai to Mecca to Saudi is priced Rs 58,000, the same travel will cost a Haj pilgrim around Rs 81,000 if he or she prefers to fly from Dabolim airport.
In a bid to avoid confusion at the last minute, the Goa Haj Committee has started its on-line acceptance of applications for the Haj pilgrimage, beginning from Wednesday and the process will end by December.
Addressing the media, Jina said the early commencement of the process of inviting applications will help the Committee to assess how many pilgrims from Goa would like to embark for Haj from Dabolim airport or the Mumbai airport. "Because of the gradual reduction in the subsidies for Haj pilgrimage, the Centre has reduced the number of embarking points to nine from 21. These points, including Goa, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mangalaru, Nagpur, Lucknow, Cochin, Chennai, etc," he said.
Conceding that the fare rate at the Goa embarking point is higher by around Rs 20,000 compared to Mumbai, Jina, however, exuded confidence that Haj pilgrims from Goa and neighbouing areas such as Belgaum and Karwar would prefer leaving for Haj from Dabolim given the number of amenities provided to the pilgrims by the local committee. "Unlike other states, the Goa Haj committee provides amenities such as food and accommodation for the Haj pilgrims from Goa, Belgaum and Karwar besides people who accompany them to the airport. I am confident that people would still prefer Goa as a embarking point though the air fare from Mumbai has gone against the state," he said.
"The Committee will meet the Muslim Jamats from today in a bid to explain them the factual position of the Haj pilgrimage scheduled next year," Jina added.
