"All India Haj Umrah Tour Organisers Association" was established at Mumbai in the year 1997, for the benefit of those Indian Haj Pilgrims who wanted to perform Haj without any help, aid or subsidy and/or of any kind from the Government. Its member PTOs and was to assist the Pilgrims who needed tailor made quick, short trips, including better lodging and boarding facilities throughout during their entire pilgrimage with special facilities in Mina since 1980s. The Private Tour Operators (PTOs) jumped into the fray to offer such services. Saudi Government was pleased to entertain them and started allotting Pilgrim Quotas to them, besides the Haj Committee of India. Initially the group of such Tour Operators was unorganized. In order to create better rapport with the Governmental authorities, collectively an Association of PTOs was formed and established. This Association is a nonprofit making organization, and has been duly registered in March 1998; under the Companies Act vide Registration No. CIN: U91110MH 1998 NPL 113931.
The Association is also recognized for its operations by the Ministry of External Affairs, Haj Cell since 2002 as also now with the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Division, Government of India. Moreover, this Association is duly recognized by all the concerned Government Haj authorities and offices at Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the Association collects duly completed files of the member PTOs and submits those to the Haj Division on behalf of their members.
Initially, the Association started with PTOs from fourteen states of Indian Union such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Assam, Orissa & Jammu & Kashmir, and later other Tour Organisers across the Country have graced this Association by becoming its member.
Alhamdulillah, today this Association is representing large number of its Members from all over India. AIHUTOA is parent Association. Other regional Associations at Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat were established in 2007.
Each year Haj quota is allotted to India by the Government of Saudi Arabia under a Bilateral Agreement. Accordingly, a high level delegation is constituted for the purpose and includes one member from registered Associations. The said Agreement is then executed at Saudi Arabia.
The primary object for establishing this Association was to solve day-to-day problems and complexities by the PTOs unitedly for the sake of Indian Pilgrims and the PTOs. Besides the above, this Association renders service to Indian Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and helps the PTOs in achieving their goal of best service.
This Association works in the legal frame work of bye-laws formed by the Managing Committee, consisting of seventeen (17) members or office bearers. Who serve the Association without any remuneration or even an honorarium. The election of the Managing Committee is held every three years by ballot.
The Managing Committee regularly holds its Meetings, wherein all the decisions are taken after full deliberations and thorough discussions very democratically. The decisions taken in the Managing Committee prevail upon all and then executed accordingly. The Association holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM), regularly and on time. Copies of Accounts and the Audited Reports are dispatched to each and every member well in advance of the AGM are placed in the AGM for its approval. Each and every member has full liberty to express his view/s and/or to raise any point of order in the AGM of the Association. Minutes of the AGM are then finalized within a reasonable time.
The Association constantly keeps itself abreast of the Notifications issued by the Government from time to time and prepare notes, index, model contract, affidavits etc. to enlighten and guide the member PTOs. Thereafter, any information notification, news and guide lines related to Haj Umrah service is immediately and promptly communicated/ transmitted to its members.
This Association is therefore committed to continue to do so same in future. Hence, this Association offers its utmost co-operation to its members in solving problems they face in rendering best possible service to the pilgrims.