Relatives of Haj pilgrims can now stay in touch

New Delhi, Oct 20 (PTI) Relatives of Indian pilgrims to
Haj will now be able to remain in contact as computers have
been installed at various locations of the pilgrimage,
External Affair Minister S M Krishna said on Tuesday.

"Relatives sitting in India can now find out through the
website of the Haj Committee of India the whereabouts of their
relatives performing Haj and can communicate with them during
their stay in Saudi Arabia," he said during the flag off
ceremony of the first batch of pilgrims at the Haj terminal of
IGI airport here.

The first batch of around 200 Haj pilgrim on Tuesday left
for the Holy Mosque in Saudi Arabia by an Air India flight.

About 115,000 pilgrims would be going through the Haj
Committee of India and rest 45,000 through private operators.
They would be leaving for Haj from 19 embarkation points
across the nation between October 20 to November 20.

Government has added Ranchi in Jharkhand and Mangalore
in Karnataka as two new embarkation points for the convenience
of pilgrims from these states.

Krishna said that government has paid close attention
to the arrangements made in India and Saudi Arabia to
facilitate the pilgrimage.

Ministry of External Affairs, in coordination with the
Ministry of Civil Aviation and other government agencies, have
been working to take all necessary measures to provide and
improve facilities and services for the pilgrims in Jeddah,
Makkah Mukarramah, Madina Munawwarah, Mina and Arafat areas,
he said.

Krishna said the coverage of cash and baggage loss cases
under Accident Compensation Scheme, which was introduced
during Haj 2004, would continue and has been further expanded.

He said the government has also taken adequate measures
to address concerns arising out of spread of swine flu."Our
medical mission in Saudi Arabia has been fully geared up to
address any health related requirement and will be working
closely with the state health authorities."

Krishan assured the pilgrims that officials from the
Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General of India in
Jeddah could be approached in case of any difficulty during
their stay in Saudi Arabia.

"The government has deputed more than 600 administrative
and medical staff for the help of pilgrims. The officials
would be present in Jeddah, Makkah Mukarramah, Madina
Munawwarah and also at centers established at Mina/Arafat
during the entire Haj period," he added.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Minister of Revenue
and Haj Affairs of Delhi Government Raj Kumar Chauhan and
Saudi Arabia ambassador were also present during the occasion.
PTI SMJ
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