New body sought for Haj pilgrims

New Delhi: A PIL seeking an independent Muslim body to look into the arrangements for Haj pilgrims and quashing of the government-controlled Haj Committee has been filed in the Delhi High Court.  

The plea referred to a recent notification of the Centre, scrapping the subsidy for pilgrims to get cheaper flights to-and-fro. Since it has been scrapped, it said, there was no need for a government-controlled panel to manage its affairs and the Haj Committee Act 2002 was also liable to be quashed. 

The plea seeking the court's nod for an independent panel and quashing of the Haj committee was filed by Delhi-based advocate Shahid Ali last week. 

The Central government had in 1959 introduced a subsidy for air travel between Bombay and Jeddah. Other flights on Air India, the state-owned carrier, were added over time.