Ayodhya Temple Trust receives Rs 100 cr in donations so far; construction begins Oct 17

AYODHYA: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust has received donations worth Rs 100 crore so far. The construction of the grand temple set is set to start from October 17, the first day of Navratri, with the laying of the foundation pillars of the mandir, said a report on Sunday (October 4). 

It is to be noted that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has put the Ayodhya Ram Janambhoomi Temple Trust under Section 80G of the Income Tax (IT) Act, which deals with deductions on contributions made to certain relief funds of charitable organisations. 

In simple terms, with this move, the BJP-led central government has exempted the Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust from under the said provisions of income tax for the current financial year 2020-21.

Income tax exemptions with donations to the trust have been made by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)  on the grounds that the imminent Ram Janambhoomi temple in Ayodhya would be a "place of historic importance and a place of public worship".

The Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been created for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The 15-member trust was constituted by the Modi government, after the Supreme Court's verdict on November 9 settled the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.

The trust had chosen Nitya Gopal Das as its president while Prime Minister Narendra Modi's former principal secretary Nripendra Misra has been appointed to head temple construction committee of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya.