[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="40948,40950,40951,40952,40949,40953,40954,40955"] Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar and India's Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. (Rtd.) V.K. Singh signed on Thursday the annual bilateral agreement for services to Indian pilgrims taking part in the upcoming Haj. The signing followed a meeting between Singh and Hajjar in Jeddah. During the meeting, both sides agreed to work and coordinate closely. They discussed matters related to the performance of Haj by Indian pilgrims, including transportation, accommodation and awareness creation. Talks also figured on further improving the services being rendered to the Haj pilgrims by the tawafa establishments in Makkah, the United Agents Office and the General Car Syndicate. Services for the Umrah pilgrims were also discussed. Singh praised the Saudi government's great care and concern to improve the services and facilities for pilgrims. "The ministry's introduction of the electronic path and other measures are instrumental in making qualitative leap in the services provided to the pilgrims. The sincere services being extended by the government of Saudi Arabia to enable the pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort are highly commendable," Singh, said while praising the strong and historic bilateral relations between the two countries. On his part, Hajjar underscored the government's keenness in offering the best services and facilities for pilgrims. He also sought the cooperation and support of the Indian government and pilgrims to ensure a hassle-free Haj. Hajjar said the Kingdom would countine a 20 percent cut in the number of foreign pilgrims and 50 percent reduction in domestic pilgrims for the next Haj. The reduced quota would continue for the fourth year in a row in view of the ongoing expansion work in the history of the Grand Mosque. The Kingdom started implementing the quota cut in 2013. Under the current quota, a total of 136,020 Indian pilgrims will perform Haj this year. Of these, 100,020 will perform the pilgrimage under the Central Haj Committee while 36,000 will come through private tour operators. Husain Shareef, deputy minister of Haj, Dr. Mohammed Simsim, deputy minister of transport, Prince Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Saad, deputy minister of interior, and other senior Saudi officials attended the meeting. The high-level Indian delegation, led by Singh, included Ahmad Javed, Indian ambassador to the Kingdom, B.S. Mubarak, consul general, Aseem Mahajan, officer on special duty of Haj at Ministry of External Affairs, Rakesh Mohan, joint secretary at Ministry of Minority Affairs, Puja Jindal, director of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ataur Rahman, CEO of Haj Committee of India, and Mohammed Shahid Alam, deputy consul general and Haj consul.
