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Cut air fare for Haj pilgrims: Apex court
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, April 16
The Supreme Court today directed the government to take a series of steps in the interest of Haj pilgrims. A Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Desai said the Haj Policy 2013 would stay for five years and should be changed only if required under the annual agreement with Saudi Arabia.

The policy should be given the final shape after giving one-month time for seeking objections and comments and another month for considering these. The Haj Policy 2013 would be called the Haj Policy 2013-2017, it said.

The policy for the next five years would be framed keeping in view any problems that might have been encountered in the previous policy and taking into account any improvements, innovations and technological advances.

“We further direct that the Haj Policy should pay attention to the special needs of the lady pilgrims and it should be aimed at making the pilgrimage for lady pilgrims as smooth and trouble-free as possible,” the Bench said.

It also directed that the time schedule for the Haj process as fixed by the Haj Committee of India should be strictly adhered to and no authority or court should interfere in the process of submission of applications, scrutiny and allotment of seats by the Haj Committees, in case the interference would lead to disturbing the time schedule.

The SC appointed a six-member committee for securing accommodation in Saudi Arabia on a long term basis for not less than five years.