GOI spends $41M/year on Haj subsidy

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bjpnews (AT) bjpfriends (DOT) orgTo: vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) comSubject: [bJP News]

GOI spends $41M/year on Haj subsidy Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:51:58 -0700>>In

majority Hindu India, GOI gives a subsidy of total $98,000 to Hindus

for>pilgrimage for three years (2002, 2003 & 2004) whereas the Muslims are

given>$41 million Haj subsidy per year. This information is from GOI. What

a>wonderful concept of Indian secularism? Here is the Press Release.>>Press

Release>>Press Information Bureau of India>August 10,

2005>www.pib.nic.in>>DELHI, INDIA, August 10, 2005: The Minister of State for

External Affairs, Shri>E. Ahmed informed the Lok Sabha about the details of

subsidy and other>facilities which are being provided by Union Government, at

present, for>pilgrims visiting various religious shrines abroad. In summary,

for the Hindu>Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, the government pays pays US$73 for

each pilgrim>to Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) for arrangements made by KMVN

for the>Yatra. In addition, during the course of the Yatra, facilities provided

by the>Government to the pilgrims include free medical assistance, security and

escort>cover by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) till the Lipulekh Pass on

the>Indian side, communication links with China, and provision of satellite

phone>to the Liaison Officer for each batch of pilgrims for use during

emergency>throughout the Yatra. A Liaison Officer is attached by the Government

with each>batch of pilgrims, who is responsible for their general welfare. It is

the>Government's endeavour to improve and upgrade facilities for the pilgrims

going>on the Yatra on a continuing basis. During the last three years (2002,

2003 &>2004), 1,322 pilgrims undertook Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and an amount

of>approximately $98,000 was paid to the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN)

for>making the required arrangements for the Yatra.>>The amount of subsidy

provided by the Government to Haj pilgrims who perform Haj>to Mecca in Saudia

Arabia through the Haj Committee of India. In 2005 was $41>million, with

similar amounts also spent in 2003 and 2004. The other facilities>provided by

the Government to the Haj pilgrims include setting up of hospitals>and

dispensaries in Saudi Arabia, supply of medicines, deputation of

medical,>para-medical and administrative staff. The Consulate General of India

in Jeddah>also renders assistance in making various logistical arrangements for

the>pilgrims performing Haj through the Haj Committee of India. The

above>information was given by the Minister in reply to a question by

Kunwar>Manvendra Singh. (HPI adds: This particular report does not say how many

Haj>pilgrims were subsidized in 2005, however in 2002, according to one web

report,>77,000 Haj pilgrims were

subsidized.)>>>>>------------------------------->This

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