Srinagar, Sep 12 (IANS) Hundreds of Muslims aspiring to perform Haj this year, the holiest Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, organised a sit-in here Monday demanding increase in the quota for pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir.

"There are around 13,000 applications but the Haj quota allotted to us by the central government is only 5,617," Kashmir divisional commissioner Basharat Ahmad Dhar said.

The total number of Indian pilgrims to be allowed to go to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina to perform the Haj this year has been fixed at 100,000, he said.

"These 100,000 seats are distributed to the states in proportion to their Muslim population. We have a Muslim population of 6.79 million and accordingly we were originally allotted 4,818 seats, which were subsequently increased to 5,617," Dhar said.

He said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ministry of external affairs to increase the quota.

This year's situation contrasts with that of the last year when nearly 9,000 pilgrims went.

"That happened because of savings in some other states' quotas and the surplus seats were added to Kashmir," Dhar said.

Asked if the state government was in touch with private Haj operators to accommodate the applicants, the official said: "Anybody can perform the Haj using the services of private operators, but that is much costlier."

Even as the people shouted slogans against the government outside the civil secretariat, officials were hopeful that the centre would increase Kashmir's quota.