Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday instructed Ayodhya Municipal Corporation officials not to charge house tax and water tax at commercial rates from the temples, maths, dharamshalas and organisations associated with religious work in the temple town.
Instead, only a token amount should be taken from such establishments, said Yogi Adityanath. Yogi was on his first visit to Ayodhya in his second term.
The chief minister asked officials to prepare a proposal in this regard and forward it to the state government department concerned.
Yogi also said no VIP should visit Ayodhya on ashtami and navmi (the eighth and ninth days of the nine-day Navratri) to avoid inconvenience to devotees. He added that if the VIPs visit, they should do so only as ordinary citizens on these two days.
Several lakh devotees visit Ayodhya during Navratri which begins on Saturday (April 2) and ends on April 10 this year. The maximum congregation is seen on ashtami and Navmi (falling on April 9 and 10 this year).
Reviewing ongoing projects at a meeting, he instructed officials to expedite all works which were being done before the assembly polls.
{{/usCountry}}Reviewing ongoing projects at a meeting, he instructed officials to expedite all works which were being done before the assembly polls.
{{/usCountry}}He also instructed officials to prepare detailed project reports of all pending projects.
After reaching Ayodhya, the chief minister offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi temple. He also visited the makeshift temple at Ram Janmabhoomi where some saints and Champat Rai, general secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, welcomed him.
Yogi Adityanath also felicitated saints taking part in the Ramkot parikrama in Ayodhya. He got down from his vehicle and presented stoles to the saints. This happened when his convoy was supposed to cross the Ramkot parikrama marg where the annual event was in progress. A large number of saints and locals attend this event on the eve of the first day of Navratri every year. Owing to Covid-19, this event was cancelled for the last two years.
Yogi Adityanath met Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and other saints.