Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra has procured about 1.15 lakh square feet of land 2 km away from the premises. This land will be dedicated to facilities for security forces, devotees, and for activities of the trust.
Sources reveal Trustee Anil Mishra said two plots of land situated in Ram Kot and Tehri Bazaar localities were purchased last week from Harish Kumar Pathak, a resident of Basti district.
The land has been bought at the rate of ₹690 per square feet, he said. A survey is being carried out on the neighbouring properties as a protocol before initiating expansion. It will ascertain the ownership of the properties which mostly represent the Muslim commodity.
Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay said the survey is being carried out to find out the owners of these properties. “This will help to find out whether those residing here are tenants or owners of houses,” he said. Mutual consent from the owners of the neighbouring structures will be deemed before the expansions begin.
“We will purchase the land by paying the demanded price or we can give them an alternate land for the resettlement,” he said, adding the extension is being done to provide devotees with the basic facilities.
The Temple Trust had purchased 7,285 square feet of land for Rs.1 crore adjacent to Ram Janmabhoomi premises in Ayodhya. Tentatively, the temple complex will expand to 107 acres from the present 70 acres.