PESHAWAR, April 30: The federal government has sanctioned Rs40 million for construction of a building of the NWFP Haj directorate to solve the problem of accommodation of intending pilgrims, an official said. He said tenders for the project would be floated soon and the building would be ready by December.

He said the quota of private tour operators would be raised next year from 60,000 to 75,000. He said another 75,000 people would be sent by the government.

“We have received 79 complaints against tour operators, most of which pertained to transportation, status of buildings and food quality,” he said. He added that Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs secretary Wakeel Ahmad Khan had heard complaints against tour operators in Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad and would visit Quetta and Karachi soon.

The official said the government had secured bank guarantees from 318 registered tour operators who had offered different packages to pilgrims, which had caused problems. However, he said, from now on, they would be allowed only to give two short and long duration packages. He said tour operators would now provide the government with complete break-up of the packages they offered.

Last year, the official said, 21 tour operators had been blacklisted on account of complaints against them. He said tour operators would not be allowed to offer services to people outside their cities and they would be made bound to return part of the amount to pilgrims in case they fell short of offering desired services.

About complaints against the PIA, he said he had held meetings with top officials at the Ministry of Defence in Islamabad and had conveyed to them that private airlines would also be engaged in Haj flights if the PIA raised its fares.