Pilgrims undertaking Haj this year will have two more embarkation points, up from 17 last time, and will have to pay Rs 16,000 instead of Rs 12,000 lastyear.

These decisions in relation to the month-long Haj pilgrimage beginning from Tuesday were taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at New Delhi on Monday.

The Haj operations would be carried out from 19 embarkation points as against 17 last year.

Ranchi and Mangalore have been added as new embarkation points this time to facilitate travel of the pilgrims from Jharkhand and Karnataka, an official spokesman said.

Altogether 1,15,000 people will undertake the Haj this year under government’s subsidy scheme. Last year, the number of 1,23,211.

Under the subsidy scheme, each pilgrim will have to pay Rs 16,000 and rest of the cost will be borne by the government. Last year, each Haji had to pay Rs 12,000.

Sources in the Haj Committee, however, said the Cabinet decision on payment had come late as bookings have already been done at the rate of Rs 12,000. Rest of the amount will now have to be recovered from the pilgrims, they said.

The official spokesman said the Civil Aviation Ministry will be responsible for facilitating air travel for the pilgrims sponsored by the Haj Committee of India.

The pilgrims would travel by Air India, Saudi Arabian Airlines and National Air Services of Saudi Arabia.

In view of the swine flu scare, the Saudi government has advised vulnerable class of people, including children below 12 years, elderly people above 65 years and pregnant women to avoid the pilgrimage.

The first phase of the Haj operation to take pilgrims to Jeddah and Madina will be from 20th October – 21st November, while the second phase to bring them back would begin from December one and go on till 1st January.