April 1- India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor signed an agreement with Minister of Hajj Fouad Al-Farsy on Wednesday night that will allow more than 160,000 Indian pilgrims to perform hajj this year. “Over 160,000 Indian pilgrims coming through the Haj Committee of India (HCI) and private tour operators are expected to perform Haj this year. A request for an additional quota has been forwarded to the Ministry of Haj taking into account the large number of applicants,” said Tharoor during a press conference held at the consulate in Jeddah. Tharoor and Al-Farsy also deliberated on the on-going expansion work going on in the kingdom that will facilitate hajis this year. The agreement also outlines arrangements for pilgrims’ accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, health care and various welfare measures. Also covered are transport arrangements to Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Madinah during the pilgrimage.
Indian pilgrims form a major chunk of the total number of pilgrims that perform hajj every year.
