Indian government has formed a six-member committee to give a report on ways to improve India's Haj policy and also look into issue of subsidy to the pilgrimage in light of 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing and abolishing it by 2022, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Saturday. Former Consul General of India in Jeddah Afzal Amanullah has been appointed as convener of the high-level panel, Union minister of state for minority affairs (Independent charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters in Delhi. Bombay high court judge (retd) SS Parkar, ex-Haj Committee of India chairperson Qaiser Shamim, former Air India CMD Michael Mascarenhas and Muslim scholar-chartered accountant Kamal Faruqui are also part of the panel, which will have the ministry joint secretary J Alam as member secretary. "The experts committee has been formed and it will give us report in a month or two on how India's Haj policy can be improved, how the pilgrims can get maximum concessions and how Haj can be managed better," Naqvi said. He said that the panel will speak to all the stakeholders concerned before finalising and submitting its report. According to sources, the panel will examine implications of various directions of the apex court with regard to the existing Haj policy, and suitable amendments in it. The committee will also review the effectiveness of Haj Committee of India's management of pilgrims' accommodation and air travel. It will also assess the aspects of transparency, consumer satisfaction and disclosure requirements for private tour operators to protect interest of the pilgrims with a view to make the policy of greater assistance to the pilgrims, the sources said. The Supreme Court had in 2012 directed the Union government to gradually reduce and abolish Haj subsidy by 2022. It had asked the government to invest the subsidy amount of approximately Rs 650 crore a year then on educational and social development of the community.
