NEW DELHI: With just three days to go for the Delhi elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of a 15-member Sri Ram Janma Bhumi Tirtha Kshetra Trust, in line with the Supreme Court verdict, to build a Ram temple at Ayodhya.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chipped in, saying a Dalit would always be part of the Temple Trust.
While over 67 acres acquired by the government around the disputed site will be transferred to the Trust, the UP government decided to allot a five-acre plot in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya district to the Sunni Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque, which was mandated by the Supreme Court.
Advocate K Parasaran, who fought the case in the Supreme Court, is among the 15 trustees.
His house is the registered office of the Trust, which has representations from mutts, the Centre and Ayodhya. All of them have to be practising Hindus to qualify as trustees.
If the Ayodhya Collector does not fit the criterion, then the seat will go to Additional Collector provided the officer satisfies all the benchmarking. What happens if both don’t fit the bill has not been spelt out. The chairman of the committee will be an ex-officio member appointed by the board.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which had led the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, urged the Trust to stick to the design of the temple adopted by the Hindu saints many years ago. VHP’s international working president Alok Kumar said the organisation will launch a mass contact programme for people’s participation in the construction of the temple and raise funds as well.
He urged the Trust to utilise the funds collected from the public for the purpose and also allow people’s participation in the building activity as kar seva (voluntary service).
The SC’s three-month deadline for formulating a suitable scheme ends on February 9. Union minister Prakash Javdekar rebutted allegations that the announcement was linked to the Delhi polls. The Election Commission, too, found it kosher.
Ram temple trust can accept donations & grants
The newly- created trust (Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra) for the construction of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, will be allowed to accept donations, grants, aids or contributions from individuals, government authorities as well as other institutions.
According to the Union Home Ministry, the contributions may be “in cash or in kind, including immovable properties”. Also, the trustees shall be entitled to loans “for the object of the trust by mortgage or hypothecation of any trust property”.
The agreement between the Central government and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra states that the trust’s main aim is to construct a “magnificent” temple in Ayodhya and it will also be responsible for maintaining the temple.
The trust will also build and maintain appropriate amenities such as “huge parking facilities”, amenities for pilgrims, separate areas for security, appropriate arrangements for Parikrama including, Annakshetras, kitchens, gaushalas, exhibitions, museums and “all other amenities for pilgrims and public visiting Ayodhya from across the world”.
The Board of Trustees will have the powers to receive money or other assets given to the trust. The members will also have powers to use the funds for promoting the purpose of the Trust.
The agreement states, “The trustees shall maintain true and proper books of account of all assets, liabilities, income and expenditure of the trust and that they shall prepare an income and expenditure account and balance sheet for every year... Members of the Board shall be accountable and answerable for funds...”