The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Terth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai has issued another clarification regarding the allegations of corruption levelled against his organisation in the purchase of Ram temple land.
He said that important temples/places falling within the boundary of the construction wall and retaining wall in the east and west part of this temple have been purchased with ‘mutual consent’.
It has been the decision of the pilgrimage area that every institution/person displaced in this process will be rehabilitated, the statement read.
It has been the decision of the pilgrimage area that every institution/person displaced in this process will be rehabilitated, the statement further stated.
On investigation, these plots were found suitable for use, after which the concerned persons were contacted. The value sought for the land was compared with the current market price and the final due amount was fixed at about Rs 1,423 per square feet, which is much less than the present market value of the nearby area.
He said that after agreeing on the price, “the concerned persons were required to complete their earlier contracts, only then the respective land which was in the pilgrimage area could have been achieved.”
As soon as the deed of land was done in favour of the persons contracting with the pilgrimage area, the deal was signed and registered with full readiness and transparency.
“The persons who made allegation did not inquire about the facts from any official of the pilgrimage area before making the allegation. This has created confusion in the society. All Shri Ram devotees are requested not to believe in any such propaganda so that the ongoing construction work of Shri Ram Janambhoomi temple is completed with transparency and without any hindrance,” the statement said.
It has been the decision of the trust from day one that all payments will be made directly from the bank to the account. The same decision has been followed in the purchase process of the concerned land.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has strongly denied allegations of corruption levelled by opposition parties in land purchase for Ram Temple.
In an earlier statement issued around midnight on Sunday, the Trust said, the current sellers had a registered agreement years ago at a price, and after the ‘bainama’ (sale deed) on March 18, they sold it to the Trust.
The statement, signed by Trust secretary Champat Rai, said, “After the Supreme Court order, a lot of people started coming to Ayodhya to purchase land, and as the UP government is also purchasing a lot of land for development works, the land price increased suddenly. The land on which discussion has started is very close to the railway station and therefore, is at a very important location. All the land purchased by the Trust is purchased at a price much lower than the market price.”
AAP MP Sanjay Singh had claimed earlier on Sunday that the stamp papers for the first purchase were bought at 5.11 p.m., and for the second at 5.22 p.m. and, in between, the price of the land had increased manifold.
He demanded a probe by the CBI or ED as it concerns religious beliefs of crores of people.
At another press conference in Ayodhya, Samajwadi Party leader and former MLA, Pawan Pandey, also raised similar questions, “A piece of land was bought for Rs 2 crore in which trustees were witnesses. Did the land start giving out gold that it was bought for Rs 18.5 crore, barely a few minutes later.”
Trustee Anil Mishra is the witness along with Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay, in the deal.
The Trust statement, however, said the propaganda by political people on the issue was misleading.
(With IANS inputs)