Saudi Arabian government raises India’s Haj quota to 2 lakh

New Delhi: The Saudi Arabian government has issued a formal order, notifying increase in Indias Haj quota to 2 lakh from 1.75 lakh, about two months after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the assurance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, official sources said here on Friday.

The decision, taken on Thursday, will ensure that for the first time since Independence, all the Haj applicants from all big states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar can go for the pilgrimage this year as their waiting lists have been cleared due to the increase in the quota, the sources said.

The Saudi Crown Prince, during his visit here in February, had announced at a meeting with the Prime Minister and attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that India’s Haj quota would be increased by about 25,000, raising the number to 2 lakh. (IANS)

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