Chennai: Tamil Nadu government today requested the Centre to increase its quota of Hajj pilgrims for this year and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in this regard.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa told the Prime Minister that the state Hajj Committee has received 15,032 applications for this year's pilgrimage, but it had been "allotted 2,585 seats only" by the Hajj Committee of India.
"As per the guidelines for Hajj 2015, out of the quota, 1,699 pilgrims have been selected under the reserved category, while 886 seats have been utilized for the general category pilgrims. This leaves 12,000 disappointed applicants," she said in a letter to PM Modi.
Earlier, the Centre had released additional seats over and above the quota, enabling a larger number of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu to perform Hajj--3,696 in 2013 and 2,858 in 2014, she said in the letter which was released by the state government.
"The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India may be requested to release additional quota for Tamil Nadu to enable more pilgrims to perform the Hajj this year," she told the Prime Minister.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa told the Prime Minister that the state Hajj Committee has received 15,032 applications for this year's pilgrimage, but it had been "allotted 2,585 seats only" by the Hajj Committee of India.
"As per the guidelines for Hajj 2015, out of the quota, 1,699 pilgrims have been selected under the reserved category, while 886 seats have been utilized for the general category pilgrims. This leaves 12,000 disappointed applicants," she said in a letter to PM Modi.
"The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India may be requested to release additional quota for Tamil Nadu to enable more pilgrims to perform the Hajj this year," she told the Prime Minister.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
PM Modi's 2nd Visit To Russia This Year, To Attend BRICS Summit Next Week PM Modi Chairs NDA Chief Ministers' Meet, Discusses Governance Issues PM Modi Renews His Membership As BJP's First Active Member MK Stalin Asks Centre To Recall Tamil Nadu Governor In Row Over Anthem Tamil Nadu Police's Counter Petition In Supreme Court Against Sadhguru Drone Footage Of Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar's Last Moments Released By Israel 3 Decades Later, First Brown Dwarf Ever Found Offers A Surprise "We Have A Lot Of Interest In Indian Films": Putin Praises Bollywood Sugar Content In Baby Foods Among Issues Under Parliamentary Panel Scanner Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.