In its verdict on November 9

PM Modi announces trust to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced the constitution of a trust which would oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya , nearly three months after the Supreme Court ruling in the decades-old case."The Union Cabinet has given its nod to set up a trust for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya," PM Modi announced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.Soon after the meeting of the Union Cabinet ended, PM Modi reached Lok Sabha to make a statement in this regard."The trust for the construction of Ram temple has been named Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Shetra ," PM Modi said."UP has agreed to give five acres of land to Sunni Wakf Board as directed by Supreme Court in Ayodhya matter," the PM said."Let us all support construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," the PM said.Home minister Amit Shah later said that Shri Ram Teertha Kshetra trust will have 15 members, with one of them from the Dalit community, the Supreme Court had paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.The apex court had said the trust should be formed within three months for the construction of the temple at the site where many Hindus believe Lord Ram was born.With Delhi elections due later this week, there were rumblings in political circles about a possible poll code violation, soon after PM's announcement in the Lok Sabha.However the Election Commission clarified soon after that its clearance was neither sought nor needed for the announcement, as this was a state election. A senior EC functionary told TOI that had it been a general election, the situation would have been different.As per the Supreme Court judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid matter, the central government has been directed to formulate a scheme with necessary provisions for the setting up of the trust with a board of trustees or any other appropriate body, the functioning of the trust, the powers of the trustees, transfer of land to the trust and all necessary, incidental and supplemental matters.All matters concerning Ayodhya and related court judgements are being handled by a dedicated desk set up in the Union home ministry.The desk is handled by three officers, headed by additional secretary Gynesh Kumar, the official said.(With inputs from agencies)