Narendra Modi reviews Ayodhya's development plan, wants future generation to visit temple town 'at least once'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the Rs 20,000 crore- Ayodhya development plan on Saturday and asserted that the temple town in Uttar Pradesh should manifest the “the finest of our traditions” and the “best of our developmental transformations”. As per government sources, during the virtual meeting of Ayodhya Development plan meeting with Uttar Pradesh officials, the prime minister said: “Ayodhya is both spiritual and sublime and the human ethos of this city must be matched by futuristic infrastructure, which is beneficial for everyone including tourists and pilgrims.” Future generations must have desire to visit Ayodhya once: PM He also said that the city should be developed such that generations should feel the desire to visit Ayodhya at least once in their lifetime. Speaking at a virtual meeting, which was also attended by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Modi described Ayodhya as a city that is “etched in the cultural consciousness of every Indian” and said the “human ethos of this city must be matched by futuristic infrastructure”. During the meeting, the prime minister was informed about various upcoming and proposed infrastructure projects to improve connectivity with the city, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama from Ramayana. This is their second meeting conducted in June to discuss the development plan; earlier this month, Adityanath was in the National Capital for meetings with Modi and top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda. Key highlights of PM’s Ayodhya Development Plan meet:

• A Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement on the meeting said Ayodhya’s development is being envisaged as a spiritual centre, global tourism hub and a sustainable smart city
• At the meeting, Uttar Pradesh government officials made a presentation which encompassed various aspects of Ayodhya’s development
• The prime minister was informed about various upcoming and proposed infrastructure projects to improve connectivity with Ayodhya and various projects like airport, expansion of railway station, bus station, roads and highways were discussed, the PMO said
• An upcoming greenfield township was discussed which includes lodging facilities for devotees, space for ashrams, maths, hotels, bhavans of various states. A tourist facilitation centre and a world class museum will also be built, it said.
• Modi said that the coming generations should feel the desire to visit Ayodhya at least once in their lifetime
• The prime minister pointed out that developmental works in Ayodhya will continue in the foreseeable future and stressed that at the same time, the momentum towards heralding Ayodhya to this next leap of progress must begin now
• The way Lord Ram had the ability to bring people together, the development works of Ayodhya should be guided by a spirit of healthy public participation, especially by the youth, Modi said
• He called for the skills of talented youngsters to be leveraged in this development of the city, according to the PMO
• The PMO also said special attention is being devoted to development of infrastructure around the Saryu river and its ghats. Cruise operations on the Saryu river will also be made a regular feature, it said
• The city will be developed to ensure sustainability with adequate spaces for cyclists and pedestrians. Traffic management will also be done in a modern manner using Smart City infrastructure, according to the PMO

Ram Temple Trust accused of land scam The meeting between the prime minister and the chief minister took place days after allegations emerged against the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust of an illicit land deal . The Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party had accused the Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust set up by the Centre in 2020, to oversee and manage the construction of the temple, of a major land scam in which the price of a piece of land changed from Rs 2 crore to Rs 18.5 crore in minutes. However, the temple body has brushed the charge aside as frivolous. The allegations are significant as the Ram temple in Ayodhya is an contentious issue in Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections are due next year. Last year on 5 August, the prime minister had visited Ayodhya to attend the ‘Bhoomi pujan’ at the Ram Janmbhoomi site. In February 2020, he had announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. With inputs from agencies