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Ayodhya authority rushes approvals for Ram temple plans, construction can start
Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra submitted the layout of the Ram Mandir, and other related documents, to Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) for its approval on Saturday
The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Wednesday approved two layouts for Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya after fixing a fee of Rs 2.11 crore payable by the Ram temple trust, officials said. One layout is for the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus (open area) and the other is for the proposed Ram temple (covered area).
The approval paves the way for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to start construction work of the temple. The trust had filed its request for approvals on Saturday.
The first layout pertains to an area of 2,74,110 sq metre (approximately 67.33 acre) of the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus and the second layout is of 12,879 sq metre for the Ram temple, which will be the focal point of the campus.
Neeraj Shukla, vice-chairman of ADA, had to convene a board meeting to approve the layouts. The vice-chairman himself has the authority to approve layouts only up to 25 acres. For any construction above this 25-acre limit, the vice-chairman has to convene a board meeting.
“The estimated construction cost of the Ram temple (covered area) was calculated on the basis of the public work department’s (PWD) schedule. It came to approximately Rs 15 crore. On this cost, the labour cess was fixed,” said Shukla.
Divisional commissioner MP Agarwal, who is also chairman of ADA, presided over the board meeting.
The board also charged a labour cess of Rs 15.36 lakh. The trust will have to deposit the fee in ADA’s Punjab National Bank account, Ayodhya.
“After depositing the fee, the trust will start construction work of the Ram temple,” said Champat Rai, general secretary of the trust.
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Larsen and Toubro, the country’s leading construction company, has been engaged for carrying out the Ram temple work in Ayodhya. The Ram temple construction committee, which is a body of the trust, will supervise the construction work.
Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, is chairman of the construction committee.
Central Building Research Institute- Roorkee and Indian Institute of Technology-Madras have assisted Larsen and Toubro in testing the soil of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
