Mumbai: Abolishing subsidy for Haj pilgrims and allowing women devotees above 45 to travel in a group of at least four without a male are some of the key highlights of a proposed Haj policy drafted by a committee appointed by the Centre, sources said.
The proposed Haj Policy 2018-22, by a panel headed by former secretary Afzal Amanullah, also recommends bringing down the number of embarkation points (EPs) from which pilgrims can take flights to Saudi Arabia from the present 21 to nine.
The draft was submitted to Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi here on Saturday.
"The 2018 Haj pilgrimage will be in line with the new Haj policy. It is a better policy, looking at the facilities proposed. It will be a transparent, people-friendly policy. It will ensure safety and security of pilgrims," Naqvi said.
The policy has been drafted in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order asking the Centre to abolish the Haj subsidy gradually by 2022, sources in the ministry said.