Hajj paperwork : IT systems developed to facilitate pilgrims

PITB chairman says the systems will help overcome many problems.

LAHORE:

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has devised three online systems that will help remove a number of problems faced by pilgrims, PITB Chairman Umer Saif said on Wednesday.

He said the PITB had developed Hajj Group Organisation Management Information Systems (MIS), Flight and Room Allocation MIS and Hajj Monitoring System in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs.



“These will help overcome several problems related to the displacement of people, loss of belongings, unawareness of laws, rules and policies and health and lodging,” Saif said in a statement.

Details about the systems is available on the official website of the ministry.

Saif said that previously, the registration process was extremely exhausting.

Clients and Hajj group organisers had to wait in long queues to get the registration forms, the PITB chairman said.

The PITB’s Information Management System provides for online registration. The data generates an automated summary that illustrates information about every pilgrim.

Saif said that millions of Pakistani pilgrims travelled to Saudi Arabia each year to perform religious obligations. Many of them are illiterate, more than 55 years of age and have never travelled overseas before.

The PITB chairman said that prior to the Flight and Room Allocation MIS, the allocation and booking process had been manual, time consuming and hectic.

After spending approximately 14 hours travelling, pilgrims had to face another delay of 4-5 hours in getting to their rooms, he said. “Pilgrims will no longer face such problems. Room allocation details will be printed on their Hajj cards.”



“The Hajj Monitoring System has proved a great success and has helped improve the monitoring process through feedback and complaints handling launched via the system.”

He said that the system would serve as a complaint registration platform collecting feedback through three mediums.

These are Hajj helplines for dealing with inquiries related to lost and found items, a universal access number in Pakistan, a toll free number in Saudi Arabia and an Android application for complaint registration.

The PITB has enabled the Ministry of Religious Affairs to monitor the entire process through the Hajj Monitoring System, Saif said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.