Haj 2023: The Cashless Experience With Forex Cards
- Posted on April 4, 2023
- News
- By TSW NEWS DESK
- 301 Views
Record number of women above 45 years to travel without male companion for Haj pilgrimage
This year, the number of Haj pilgrims in
India has surpassed 140,000, with a record number of over 4,300 women above 45
years travelling without their male companion. In response, the Indian
government has arranged for a “cashless” pilgrimage by providing all Haj
pilgrims with a forex card issued by the State Bank of India (SBI). The
application and selection process for Haj this year was conducted online, with
over 1.8 lakh applicants. Of the 1.4 lakh selected pilgrims, 10,621 are in the
70+ age group, and the rest are mostly young people.
SBI offers competitive forex rates for Haj pilgrims
India’s quota for Haj pilgrims this year is 1.75 lakh, with 80% allocated to the Haj Committee of India and the rest to private Haj group operators. The initial flight for the Haj pilgrimage is scheduled to take off from India on May 21st. The government has partnered with SBI to offer forex facilities to the pilgrims at competitive rates, and SBI will also set up stalls at all 25 embarkation points where nodal officers will assist the pilgrims in collecting forex in cash or through the card.
The new Haj policy 2023 gives the option to
the pilgrims to arrange their own foreign currency as per their individual
requirements, unlike in previous years when each pilgrim was provided with 2100
riyals by the Haj Committee. The ministry of minority affairs has emphasized
that the forex facilities provided by SBI will be available to all pilgrims at
the most competitive rates.
Reduced risk of theft or loss of cash
during Haj pilgrimage
The issuance of forex cards to all Haj
pilgrims by the government guarantees a pilgrimage without any inconvenience of
carrying cash, especially for the elderly and women who are traveling without a
male companion. This will also help to reduce the risk of theft or loss of cash
during the journey. Overall, the special arrangements made by the government
and SBI are aimed at facilitating a smooth and comfortable pilgrimage
experience for all Haj pilgrims this year.
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