The air fare alone has increased by Rs.8,000 this year. Haj subsidy offered by the government of India had been reduced by Rs.150 crore this year. It was Rs.800 crore last year.

The Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid while speaking to the journalists of Urdu media here on Thursday that each pilgrim this year has paid Rs.200,000 for the pilgrimage conducted by the Haj Committee of India. Last year, the pilgrims paid Rs.180,000.

Those pilgrims routed through private tour operators pay in the range of Rs.250,000 as their trip is not subsidised.

Khursid informed that owing to high cost over 3,600 pilgrims opted out and these quotas will be allotted to applicants earlier wait-listed by the Haj Committee.

Saudi Arabia had already effected a cut in Haj pilgrim quota and only a total 136,000 Indian Muslims will be able to perform the pilgrimage this year. The quota allotted to private tour operators has been cut by 30,000 to accommodate all pilgrims going through the Haj Committee of India.

Haj subsidy offered by the government of India had been reduced by Rs.150 crore this year. It was Rs.800 crore last year. The subsidy would be gradually phased out, the minister said, in accordance with a May 2012 ruling of the Supreme Court to gradually do away with the subsidy over a period of 10 years.

Khurshid said more than 38,000 pilgrims from India have already reached Saudi Arabia, and most of them are now in Medina.

Pilgrims are being airlifted from 21 embarkation points in the country.