[Reader-list] Is Subsidy Islamic or UnIslamic ?

[Pawan Durani]

GOI to spend 387 Crore Rupees on Haj Subsidy this year!

Union Cabinet approves continuation of Hajj subsidy

New Delhi, Nov 2: The Government has decided that the number of pilgrims
under the Government subsidy scheme during Hajj 2007 will remain 1,
10,000.
 The other approvals/decisions of the Government in this regard are
inclusion of Varnasi as an embarkation point over and above the existing
ones for Hajj 2007, retaining subsidized airfare to be charged per pilgrim
for the round trip to Jeddah/Madinah at Rs 12000.

 The remaining cost is to be paid as subsidy by the Government of India to
Air India.

 The Airport Tax levied by Saudi Government @ 50 Saudi Arabian Riyals per
passenger to be paid by the pilgrim.

 Transportation of up to 59000 pilgrims by Saudi Arabian Airways (SAA) at
the return fare of US$ 772 for Mumbai-Delhi, Ahemdabad and Hyderabad and US$
849 from Chennai and Bangalore.

 Transportation of balance pilgrims by Air India from Lucknow, Kolkata,
Calicut, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Patna, Guwahati, Srinagar and Varanasi.
 The movement of Hajj is scheduled to commence from November 10, 2007. Air
India and Saudi Arabian Airlines will together be managing the air
transportation of pilgrims for Hajj 2007 operations.

 The total cost of operation for Hajj 2007 is estimated to be around Rs 519
crores. With the pilgrims fare remaining at Rs 12,000 an amount of Rs 132
crores will be received from the pilgrims. The subsidy will be around Rs.
387 crores for Haj 2007 operations.

 Due to capacity constraints Air India proposes to undertake Haj operations
through wet leasing of aircraft even as efforts are being made to minimize
the cost of operations, the estimated per pilgrim cost in respect of Air
India operations is expected to be US$ 1535 for Hajj 2007. The subsidy
amount will be reimbursed to Air India by the Government.  PIB