Ten per cent of total Haj pilgrims applied online this year and this trend will be encouraged on a large scale for next year's pilgrimage too, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here.
He was speaking at a review meeting with officials at the Haj House, Mumbai yesterday to take stock of preparations for the pilgrimage.
The Minority Affairs Ministry and other concerned departments are very serious about arrangements, facilities and safety of Haj pilgrims, Naqvi said.
The Minority Affairs Ministry has been sending senior officials of the Ministry to Saudi Arabia to take stock of arrangements, facilities, safety and helping for about 1.36 lakh Indians who have been proceeding for Haj yatra this year, he said.
Naqvi also attended a training camp organized for Haj pilgrims, where he welcomed a large number of people who have been going for the pilgrimage.
Besides various information regarding Haj, disaster-management training was also provided to those going for Haj in the training camp.
With prayers for peace, prosperity and harmony in the country and the entire world, Naqvi wished a successful Haj pilgrimage to the devotees. Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, BJP MLA Raj K Purohit, Haj Committee CEO Ataur Rehman, Haj Committee Member and Gujarat Coordinator H B Kazmi were present at the training camp.
Earlier, training camps for Haj pilgrims were also organized in various states.
About 4,500 Haj pilgrims will proceed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrimage from Mumbai this year from August 27.
For 2016, about 1,00,020 Haj pilgrims have been facilitated from 21 points across India through Haj Committee and around 36,000 pilgrims have also been proceeding through the private tour operators.
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