Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi the subsidy will now be utilized for educational empowerment of girls and women from the minority community.

The Centre has abolished Haj subsidy from this year. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi informed that a record number of one lakh 75 thousand Muslims will undertake the Haj pilgrimage from India, without any subsidy this year. He said the subsidy will now be utilized for educational empowerment of girls and women from the minority community.

He said, this is part of the government policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement. In 2017, Haj subsidy was reduced by Rs 200 crore, from Rs 408 crore in 2016.

Saudi Arabia had this year hiked pilgrim quota by Rs 5,000. Riyadh also relaxed norms for women making the annual pilgrimage allowing a group of at least four women over the age of 45 to go on Haj without a ‘Mehram’ or male companion.