Around 1.25 lakh Haj pilgrims will be covered this year under the subsidy scheme of the government, which has also decided to go for competitive bidding for airlines to negotiate fares.

The pilgrims will have to pay 20,000 rupees as air fare. Besides one of 21 embarkation points, Patna has been replaced by Gaya this time due to certain technical difficulties. The proposals were approved at yesterday's meeting of the Union Cabinet.

The Haj flights would start on September 17. The element of cost of air travel arrangements in excess of the fare paid by the pilgrims, is the Haj subsidy borne by the government. The Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal Ministry for Haj matters.

However, the air travel arrangements for pilgrims going on Haj through the Haj Committee of India are made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.