6,054 pilgrims from Kerala to perform Haj this year

Kozhikode: The Haj committee of India (HCI) has fixed the Haj quota of the state at 6054 for this year. As a result, applicants from the general category and half of the fourth time applicants will not be able to perform Haj this year, according to the Kerala state Haj committee. The Qurrah (draw of lots) to select the Hajis will be held on April 19.

According to the current practice of fixing the Haj quota on the basis of the Muslim population, the state received 5329 seats. However, 705 surplus seats allotted from other states took the total number to 6054. This time, the decision of the Saudi Government to slash the nation’s Haj quota by 20% due to the on-going construction around the Masjidil Haram area further reduced the seats, said E C Muhammed, assistant secretary, state Haj committee.

A total of 56,053 applications have been received this year for Haj pilgrimage, which is a record number from the state. So far, the record number of Haj applicants from the state was 49,862, in 2012. This time, 9905 applications have been received under the reserved category which includes persons above the age of 70 and those who are applying for the fourth time, after being denied a chance the last three times they applied. Some 46,148 applications were received in the general category.

First preference is given to persons in the reserved category and as a result, no applicant from the general category is likely to get the opportunity to perform Haj this year. Last year, though there were as many as 43,960 applicants from the state, only 8000 persons could perform Haj.