Tour operators oppose Haj policy panel recommendations

Hyderabad: Representatives of Private Tour Operators, a federation of 42 operators from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, say that the recommendations put forth by the committee that reviewed the existing Haj Policy must be rejected as they have far reaching destructive implications.

They say that the Haj Policy 2018-2022 that has been proposed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MOMA) to the Government of India will make it difficult for Muslims to undertake Haj. The changes in the proposed policy will increase the expenditure of Haj pilgrims by Rs 20,000 per head. 

Addressing a media during a conference on Thursday, the Haj operators also demanded the abolishment of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Mohammed Abdur Razzak, the president of the Haj and Umrah Tour Organizers’ Welfare Association Hyderabad, said, “The government’s new policy directly affects the number of people travelling for Haj and Umrah every year. The new policy demands that tour operators must have an annual turnover of '5 crore, the burden of which will be passed on to aspiring pilgrims.”

Implementation of the GST will also increase the burden on tour operators. 

As per the government’s new policy, tour operators have been segregated into three categories A, B and C, depending on their annual turnover.  

Mohammed Siraj Khan, the general secretary of the Association, said, “Due to the changes in the policy, tour operators will be forced to increase the prices of Haj tour packages. This will have far-reaching implications on aspiring pilgrims.”

The federation demanded the annulment of the turnover ceiling proposed for private tour operators, and the cancellation of GST.