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Pilgrim's Regress

Months later, panel asks last year's Hajis to pay some more

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Pilgrim's Regress
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Quite A Ride
  • Months after the 2008 Haj, pilgrims have received an unsigned letter from the Haj Committee seeking another Rs 5,000
  • This, the committee says, is because exchange rate between the rupee and the Saudi riyal had gone up from the time the bookings were finalised
  • This has angered many pilgrims, who allege they were not even given the services that they had paid for in the first place

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Outlook
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The letter from the Haj panel
Click here for large image

The letter was sent to all pilgrims, irrespective of when they paid in 2008. An official of the committee acknowledged this and said it was done to divide the entire incremental cost amongst all pilgrims. That comes to about Rs 5,000 per pilgrim. "We acknowledge part of the fault, for this additional cost was because of the committee's accounts section, which delayed the remittances. By September 2008, we had to send 40 per cent of the total cost but this was not done," said the official. This has obviously infuriated many pilgrims, and many have questioned how the surcharge amount was calculated. The letter too doesn't explain it clearly.

This demand for more money comes after many of the pilgrims were already charged extra keeping in mind the fluctuating exchange rate and growing rates for accommodation. According to Haque's RTI, the government charged Rs 82,522 (7,086.5 riyals at Rs 11.645 per riyal) for a pilgrim in the green category, plus a flat Rs 12,000 for the return fare between Jeddah and India. This is a total of Rs 94,522, but Haque, who paid in October, was charged an additional Rs 2,418 for fluctuating exchange rates.

"Why should we pay more again for their unprofessionalism?" asks Haque. "And do you think if the exchange rate had fallen they would have refunded us?" This letter has generated all the more controversy because many of the pilgrims were not offered services that they had paid for. For instance, there were many in the green category who paid 3,000 riyals to be lodged (for around a month) within a kilometre of Haram Sharif, the main mosque in Mecca where the Kaaba is located. They were instead put in accommodations under the aziziya category, farther from the mosque than green, and costing, even according to the committee's reply to the RTI application now, only 2,100 riyals per pilgrim. The application form given earlier in the year had indicated the cost for this category as only 1,500 riyals.

Mohammed Owais, the CEO of the Haj Committee, was unavailable for comment as he was in Jeddah when this report was being filed. But in letters responding to complaints filed by pilgrims, copies of which Outlook has, he has said that this problem was caused because the additional quota and government quota seats were released by the ministry of external affairs at a very late stage in 2008. By then accommodation near Haram Sharif had run out and the government decided to accommodate the pilgrims elsewhere. The rate the government finalised for this aziziya accommodation was 2,800 riyals, up from the original 1,500. And by then the exchange rates had also gone up. However, there are hundreds of pilgrims whose seats were confirmed much earlier in 2008, but who were still lodged in accommodation inferior to what they had paid for. Under pressure, the committee has decided to refund Rs 10,49,149 to 392 such pilgrims.

The letter has spurred many pilgrims to complain of the bad services. These include inadequate toilets—it was a ratio of about 12 for several thousands. There are also complaints of bathroom water being filled in drinking water cans. As many as four-five people were cramped into rooms meant for two and pilgrims had to sleep on 15-inch wide quilts in camps. There are also allegations that no separate arrangements were made for women and that they had to sleep next to strangers in cramped tents and hotel rooms when Islamic law mandates that women must travel for Haj with a male relative.

Given these poor arrangements, Haque says the government may choose to take more money but must offer the services pilgrims have paid for. Mohammed Sayeed, a mechanic from Delhi, has travelled for the Haj twice, in 2003 and 2008. "The hotels in 2003 were much better and sheets were promptly changed every three days. This time they did that only once in 15 days," he says.

Ironically, the Haj Committee's penchant for luxury is not unknown. In November 2008, a letter was sent by the committee demanding "separate facilities" for a delegation of 100 officials of the committee and their families.

Owais has also stressed that the responsibility of looking after pilgrims and redressing their grievances lies with the Indian consulate in Jeddah and that the complaints will be taken up with the Indian consulate in Jeddah for improvement.

Meanwhile, as the Haj allotments, which are presently under way, are finalised for 2009, many pilgrims will be praying that they get a better deal than their 2008 counterparts.

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