Rs 10,000 Airfare Additional Charge Invites Strong Criticism

Hyderabad:The Indian Haj Committee’s decision to tax Haj pilgrims an additional Rs 10,000 on air tickets due to rising aviation fuel costs amid the West Asian crisis has sparked widespread criticism. While AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi demanded withdrawal of the hike, Congress termed the move as unfair and exploitative.

Owaisi noted that this measure was taken despite Rs 90,844 being collected per pilgrim for departure from the Mumbai embarkation point a few months ago. “This is almost double the common rates for individual travelers. Are pilgrims penalized for going through the Hajj Committee,” he asked.

While tagging Union ministers Kiren Rijuju and K. Ram Mohan Naidu in a post on handle

Senior Congress leader Arham Adil told the media that the decision would disproportionately affect ordinary pilgrims, especially those from humble backgrounds who have spent years saving money to undertake the pilgrimage. He noted that many families plan carefully and invest significant amounts of money in advance, leaving little room to meet sudden financial demands.

The Hajj Committee of India issued a circular on 28 April requesting all selected pilgrims to deposit the additional amount by 15 May. The directive follows a sharp rise in global oil prices triggered by ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran, which has led to increased airfare, transportation and general logistics costs associated with the pilgrimage.

This year, 1,75,025 pilgrims from India are scheduled to perform Hajj. Telangana Pilgrim House will facilitate over 9,660 pilgrims, including 6,660 from Telangana and 12 other states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar islands. They will fly from the city to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Hajj charter flights via Flynas will operate between 4-21 May, while return flights from Medina to Hyderabad will be scheduled between 11-26 June.