Ayodhya: Govt makes Re 1 donation

New Delhi, Feb 06: The government has made the first donation of Re 1 in cash to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to begin its work of constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya, officials said.

D Murmu, an under-secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, contributed the amount to the trust on behalf of the central government on Wednesday.

The trust will accept donations, grants, subscriptions, aids or contribution from any person in cash, kind, including immovable properties, without any conditions, the officials said.

It will initially function from the residence of senior lawyer K Parasaran but will look for a permanent office later, they said.

The Centre on Wednesday constituted the independent 15-member Trust to oversee the construction of a "grand and magnificent" Ram temple in Ayodhya, an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha four days before the expiry of a three-month deadline set by the Supreme Court.

In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said the Trust will have its registered office in Greater Kailash locality, an upscale area in south Delhi, and will have a representative from the Dalit community.

The members of the trust include senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagatguru Shankracharya, Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj from Allahabad, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj from Haridwar, Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj from Pune and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya.

Besides, the following will be the trustees - Anil Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya, Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna who is a Scheduled Caste member, and Mahant Dinendra Das, Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya Baithak.

Two prominent people who shall be practising Hindus will be nominated by the board of trustees with a majority resolution. One representative will be nominated by the Centre who shall be a practising Hindu by religion and a serving member of the IAS and who shall not be below the rank of joint secretary to the government of India and shall be an ex officio member.