Ayodhya trust likely to be based on Somnath Temple Trust: Govt sources

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], Nov 9 (ANI): The trust for the construction of Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya will be similar to the Somnath Temple Trust, highly placed sources in the government said on Saturday.
The sources told ANI that Ayodhya trust is likely to follow the pattern of Somnath Temple Trust that has Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah as board members.
This comes after the Supreme Court directed the Central government to make necessary arrangements for the construction of a temple at the disputed site by forming a trust and give five acres of suitable land to Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque at an alternate location in Ayodhya.
Responding to whether Ayodhya trust too would have the Prime Minister as a member, the government sources said, "The model would be same. However, the members would be decided by consensus and with consultations with the Prime Minister."

The sources also stated that there could be any number of members in the trust. "This trust has to be formed within three months and we will sit and deliberate on who all would be made members. We need to finalise the names soon. The Somnath Temple Trust has seven members," the sources said.

In all likelihood, the trust will fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, sources added.

Sources in the Culture and Tourism Ministry said that the ministry has already started working on the site.

"There is a 12 km radius and we can build basic infrastructure outside that perimeter. Inside it would be various religious structures including the temple," they said.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Patel informed that the ministry is planning to bring out a book on Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) listings of evidence in the case.

"The ASI has done a commendable job and we would bring the work cited in the case in the Supreme Court in the form of a book," said the minister. (ANI)