As per the Annual Bilateral Agreement signed between India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Haj 2017, a quota of 1,70,025 pilgrims (1,25,025 seats for Haj Committee of India and 45,000 seats for Private Tour Operators) has been allocated as against the quota of 1,36,020 pilgrims (1,00,020 seats for Haj Committee of India and 36,000 seats for Private Tour Operators) during previous year.
The quota allotted to Haj Committee of India are allocated to all States/ Union Territories Haj Committees including the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, in proportion of their Muslim population as per Census 2011.
The Supreme Court while dealing with the Special Leave Petition (Civil) inter alia observed that Haj subsidy is something that is best done away with and directed the Central Government to progressively reduce the amount of subsidy so as to completely eliminate within a period of 10 years. Accordingly, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), which is responsible for making air travel arrangements for Haj Pilgrims identified by HCoI and to provide subsidy towards airfare payable to the airlines, has progressively reduced the subsidy for Haj operations from the year 2012 onwards. An amount of Rs.836.56 crore as subsidy was given by the Government in 2012-13. Progressively, it reduced to Rs.680.03 crore in the year 2013-14 , Rs.577.07 cror in 2014-15, Rs. 529.51 crore in 2015-16 and Rs. 405 crore (approx) in the year 2016-17.
Every year a Haj Air Travel Committee (HATC) is constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to look into the various aspects of air travel arrangements for Haj pilgrimage. For Haj 2017, the HATC has been constituted on 02.01.2017 under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary, MoCA and comprising of Joint Secretary level Officers of Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Director, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Chief Executive Officer, HCoI and a representative of Airports Authority of India.