Hyderabad: The Haj Committee of India has recently announced that they will no longer be providing 2100 riyals to the hajj pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj season. Instead, the pilgrims will have to arrange the riyals on their own for their travel expenses while in Saudi Arabia. The Chief Executive Officer of the Haj Committee of India, Mohammad Yaqoob Shaikh, has written to all state Haj committees, advising them to inform the pilgrims about the purchase of riyals on their own.
According to Shaikh, each pilgrim will be allowed to carry a maximum of 1500 Saudi riyals. If any pilgrim carries more than the allowed amount, they will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India and customs officials. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has selected the State Bank of India to provide Riyal to the pilgrims. The supply and insurance of Saudi Riyal will also be done by SBI.
SBI will make arrangements for the supply of riyals to the pilgrims, which will be available at Hajj training camps and application points. The bank will also appoint a nodal officer for each state to oversee the arrangements for the supply of riyals. The state Hajj committees will guide the pilgrims regarding the purchase of riyals.
In addition to the new policies regarding riyals, sub-committees comprising members of the Hajj Committee have been formed for effective arrangements during the Hajj camp. These committees will be responsible for food, transport, maintenance, and volunteers. Two members of the Hajj Committee have been included in each committee to ensure that the pilgrims are provided with the best possible facilities and services.
The Haj Committee of India has been working to ensure that all aspects of the Hajj pilgrimage are properly taken care of, and these new policies are just one step towards that goal.
