Chhattisgarh seeks names of authorised donation collectors from Ram Mandir trust

A senior VHP leader in Chhattisgarh alleged the state’s Congress government was trying to mislead people through the letter.

Chhattisgarh chief secretary has written to the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust to find out names of persons or institutions authorized in Chhattisgarh to collect donations for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as per the official letter.

Neeraj Shukla, vice-chairman of ADA, said the estimated construction cost of the Ram temple (covered area) was estimated to be ₹15 crore on the basis of the public work department’s (PWD) schedule.

In his letter, chief secretary Amitabh Jain also cited some incidents of some people and organisations seeking donation in Chhattisgarh for the construction of Ayodhay Ram Mandir, while issuing receipts deemed to be fake.

“One such case was reported from Bilaspur, where a woman was booked by local police for collecting donations for Ram Mandir construction

through fake receipts,” the letter stated.

Jain asked for details of entities authorised for collection of donation to stop “illegal collection” in Chhattisgarh.

The deputy secretary of the Chhattisgarh unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and in-charge of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan, Santosh Chaudhary said the state’s Congress government was trying to mislead people through the letter.

The construction of the Ram Mandir has begun in Ayodhya and it is likely to be will be completed in two to three years time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presided over the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony of the Ram temple on August 5 last year.