AIUDF president and former Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal has raised questions over the Haj 2027 Comprehensive Service Package tender, asking why a higher-cost option was reportedly selected despite a lower-priced bid being available.
In a series of posts on X on Monday, August 31, Ajmal said several people from Assam had contacted him after the issue emerged, expressing concern that rising Haj costs were making the pilgrimage harder to afford.
“For poor and middle-class families, Haj is not a luxury; it is a lifelong dream,” he said, urging the government to prioritise reducing the financial burden on pilgrims.
Ajmal questioned the reported selection of a costlier option for Haj 2027. Referring to figures from the tender process, he said the technical evaluation committee had reportedly ranked the L1/H1 bidder highest, with the recommendation also moving forward at the Consulate General of India in Jeddah.
He questioned the reported selection of Ithraa Al Khair at SAR 9,777 per pilgrim against a quoted rate of SAR 8,717.01 for the L1/H1 bidder, saying the difference required clarification, particularly when prospective pilgrims were already facing concerns over affordability.
Ajmal also referred to the reported selection of the same company for Haj 2026 at SAR 2,929.05 per pilgrim, compared with an L1 rate of SAR 2,650, and questioned why the higher-cost option was chosen.
He further referred to a reported rate of SAR 2,738.15 for the company’s selection in 2025 and said questions had also been raised over a reported SAR 41 million penalty linked to Haj 2026.
Ajmal said the reported figures and decisions required transparency and clarification from the authorities.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar also raised questions over the Haj 2027 arrangements, asking why the government was hesitant to address concerns surrounding the tender if the process had been conducted according to the prescribed rules.
Taking to X on Saturday, August 29, Anwar said the contract had reportedly been awarded to the same company for four years despite another company being recommended by the technical committee.
He also questioned the reported additional burden of more than Rs 30,000 on pilgrims and asked why concerns surrounding the selection had not been addressed.
This come after Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh earlier raised similar questions over the Haj 2027 tender, alleging irregularities in the selection of the service provider.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs subsequently said the selection was carried out through a prescribed and structured tendering process in accordance with applicable tender conditions and procurement procedures. It said bids were subjected to scrutiny and evaluation by designated authorities and committees.
The ministry has maintained that the selection was based on the overall evaluation of bids under the approved methodology and was not influenced by extraneous considerations.
