Did not release list of ‘illegal colonisers’ in Ayodhya: ADA
The two-page list, purportedly carrying the signature of ADA lekhpal Ajay Bharti, mentions 40 areas in Ayodhya where illegal colonies have allegedly mushroomed.
The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Sunday denied releasing a purported list of 40 people, which included the names of city mayor, a local BJP MLA and a former party legislator, allegedly involved in “illegal colonisation” of land plots in the temple town.
Dismissing reports of releasing the names, ADA vice-chairman Vishal Singh said that the “leaked list” in question is a preliminary one prepared on August 6. (PTI PHOTO)
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The two-page list, purportedly carrying the signature of ADA lekhpal Ajay Bharti, mentions 40 areas in Ayodhya where illegal colonies have allegedly mushroomed. Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta, former Milkipur MLA Gorakhnath Baba and city mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay are among those named.
Dismissing reports of releasing the names, ADA vice-chairman Vishal Singh said that the “leaked list” in question is a preliminary one prepared on August 6. “Ayodhya Development Authority has not released any list. After a probe (of projects), a list was prepared which was leaked... The list was prepared yesterday (Saturday). The junior engineer concerned with enforcement has been directed to visit the area, investigate and take action. Whose name has been put in the list, can be ascertained after investigation.”
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He also said that spoiling the image of any political personality is not the objective of the ADA. Talking to news agency PTI, Upadhyay and Gupta alleged that they have been falsely implicated.
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He also said that spoiling the image of any political personality is not the objective of the ADA. Talking to news agency PTI, Upadhyay and Gupta alleged that they have been falsely implicated.
Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him.
He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust.
He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commission
