Kashmir Pen News Bureau
Srinagar, April 17:
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has issued an urgent appeal to the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, expressing grave concern over the continued non-operational status of the NUSUK portal. In a strongly worded letter sent today, KCCI highlighted the critical distress faced by Private Hajj Operators in Kashmir, who are now facing the imminent threat of forfeiting their allocated quota for Hajj 2025.
KCCI President Javid Ahmad Tenga emphasized that the technical malfunction of the portal is not merely a business disruption but a religious crisis affecting thousands of devout Muslims preparing for Hajj—a sacred obligation in Islam. According to the communication, over 52,000 quota places have already been forfeited, and the remaining 10,000 places allotted to J&K-based service providers are at serious risk if the portal is not made operational immediately.
“This issue is causing extreme distress and anxiety among our members, who have invested considerable resources, collected payments from pilgrims, and taken loans—all now jeopardized by a system failure beyond their control,” read the letter. “Our members are now helpless, facing the ire of angry and disappointed pilgrims, and the community is being subjected to rising religious and social tension.”
The situation is particularly urgent as April 18 marks the final deadline for processing the quota—and it coincides with a Friday, a weekly holiday in Saudi Arabia. If not resolved today, service providers will have no recourse until after the weekend, by which time the quota will be irretrievably lost.
KCCI has urgently requested the Ministry to:
1. Ensure the immediate operationalization of the NUSUK portal;
2. Seek an extension of the April 18 deadline in light of these exceptional circumstances;
3. Initiate emergency-level communication with Saudi authorities to resolve the crisis.
Stressing the religious significance of Hajj and the community’s inability to act further without government help, KCCI has called upon the Union Government to act with urgency and compassion to prevent irreparable harm to hundreds of pilgrims and service providers.
A copy of the communication has also been marked to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.
