Record 2 lakh Haj pilgrims from India this year: Union Minister Naqvi
Mumbai: Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Sunday said a record number of two lakh Indian Muslims will go to Haj this year, that too without any subsidy, on more than 500 flights from 21 embarkation points across the country.
Addressing a meeting of representatives of private tour operators (PTOs) at Haj House in Mumbai, Naqvi said while 1.40 lakh pilgrims will go through the Haj Committee of India, the rest 60,000 will make the pilgrimage with the help of PTOs.
A total of 725 PTOs will take Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.
All the PTOs will have to take 10 thousand pilgrims on the rates decided by Haj Committee of India, he said, adding that a portal of PTOs -- http://haj.nic.in/pto/ has been developed containing details of tour packages etc.
"The Ministry of Minority Affairs received serious complaints against some PTOs. This year, three PTOs have been blacklisted. Strict action was taken against several of them last year as well," he said.
"The number of women Haj pilgrims going without mehram (male companion) has increased this year and stood at 2,340.
Around 48 per cent of the two lakh Haj pilgrims from India are women," the minister informed. Naqvi said Saudi Arabia's decision to increase India's Haj quota to two lakh had ensured the clearing of waiting lists from all big states.
For the first time since Independence, all applicants from states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar will go for the Haj pilgrimage this year, thanks to the enhanced quota, he added.
Naqvi said making the entire Haj process online has ensured the pilgrimage was not expensive despite withdrawal of subsidies, adding that the process was now "pro pilgrims".
A total of 14 health centres (11 in Makkah and three in Madina) have been established along with three hospitals in Makkah and one hospital in Madina to ensure proper health facilities for Haj pilgrims, the minister said.
A total of 620 Haj coordinators, assistant Haj officers, Haj assistants, doctors, paramedics etc have been deployed, including a large number of women, informed the minister.
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Chhattisgarh: FIR against Vedanta group chairman Anil Agarwal, others after blast kills 20 workers
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The Chhattisgarh police on Thursday registered an FIR against Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal and others in connection with the blast at the firm's power plant in Sakti district that claimed 20 lives, an official said.
The explosion occurred on April 14 at the Vedanta plant in Singhitarai village when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine burst, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. The incident claimed 20 lives and left 16 persons injured.
A case has been registered at Dabhra police station under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said.
"Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added," Thakur told PTI.
Investigation into the incident is underway and several reports are awaited, including post-mortem reports of the deceased and findings from the forensic science laboratory and the industrial health and safety department, he said.
"A technical team has also been constituted to probe the cause of the blast. Further sections will be added if required after all reports are received," the SP said.
Following the incident, the opposition Congress had demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into it.
