India's Haj quota for 2023 fixed at 1,75,025: Govt

India's Haj quota for this year has been fixed at 1,75,025 according to the bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia, the government said on Thursday.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani said the ministry has had a number of interactive sessions on Haj management with stakeholders, including Haj Committees of the states and Union Territories, wherein requests for restoration of Haj quota were received.

"The issue was addressed under the Annual Bilateral Agreement with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for Haj 2023 and inspite of challenges of Covid-19, the original Haj quota of the country i.e. 1,75,025 has been restored for Haj 2023," Irani said.

The quota earmarked for Haj Committee of India (HCoI) under the Annual Bilateral Agreement is meant for pilgrims from various states and UTs for Haj 2023.

The increase in Haj quota has now enabled the government to send more pilgrims from states/UTs.