Mumbai, Sept 23 (PTI) The Ministry of External Affairs today informed the Bombay High Court that the list of private tour operators selected to send Haj pilgrims was submitted to Saudi Arabia even before the court had passed an order restraining the government to do so.
The High Court had on September 19 directed the government not to go ahead with the process of appointing tour operators for sending Haj pilgrims till it decides the petitions filed by those tour operators who were declared as ineligible. But the union ministry had sent the list of eligible tour operators to Saudi Arabia before the order was passed, Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata said.
A division bench of Justices D D Sinha and V K Tahilramani then directed the Ministry to maintain status quo till Sept 26 (Monday) when the court would hear the petitions.
Over 40 private tour operators had challenged the MEA decision to disallow certain tour operators as they did not meet the criteria of having an office area of minimum 250 square feet area.
The MEA filed an affidavit today stating that the Saudi Arabian authorities had written to the Indian government asking it to furnish the final list of tour operators or else the entire quota allotted to India would be lost. Accordingly the final list was submitted on September 14. The last date to submit the final list of tour operators and the number of seats allocated to each of them was August 15. But the Indian government could not submit the final list till September 14, the affidavit filed by Joint Secretary (Gulf and Haj) A R Ghanshyam stated.
The affidavit further said that stipulation of office space criteria was included to put off fly-by-night operators as the number of private tour operators (wanting to send pilgrims to Saudi) went up from 600 in 2010 to 1300 this year.
The criteria that operators should have a minimum of 250 square feet office area was inserted on the basis of past experience wherein fly-by-night operators indulged in unscrupulous practices leaving the pilgrims in lurch, the affidavit said.
The petitioners refuted the allegations and claimed that they have been in the business for several years and there have been no complaints against them.
The High Court had on September 19 directed the government not to go ahead with the process of appointing tour operators for sending Haj pilgrims till it decides the petitions filed by those tour operators who were declared as ineligible. But the union ministry had sent the list of eligible tour operators to Saudi Arabia before the order was passed, Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata said.
A division bench of Justices D D Sinha and V K Tahilramani then directed the Ministry to maintain status quo till Sept 26 (Monday) when the court would hear the petitions.
Over 40 private tour operators had challenged the MEA decision to disallow certain tour operators as they did not meet the criteria of having an office area of minimum 250 square feet area.
The MEA filed an affidavit today stating that the Saudi Arabian authorities had written to the Indian government asking it to furnish the final list of tour operators or else the entire quota allotted to India would be lost. Accordingly the final list was submitted on September 14. The last date to submit the final list of tour operators and the number of seats allocated to each of them was August 15. But the Indian government could not submit the final list till September 14, the affidavit filed by Joint Secretary (Gulf and Haj) A R Ghanshyam stated.
The affidavit further said that stipulation of office space criteria was included to put off fly-by-night operators as the number of private tour operators (wanting to send pilgrims to Saudi) went up from 600 in 2010 to 1300 this year.
The criteria that operators should have a minimum of 250 square feet office area was inserted on the basis of past experience wherein fly-by-night operators indulged in unscrupulous practices leaving the pilgrims in lurch, the affidavit said.
The petitioners refuted the allegations and claimed that they have been in the business for several years and there have been no complaints against them.
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