BREAKING NEWS: First meeting of Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to take place in Delhi on Wednesday

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NEW DELHI: The first meeting of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust, which was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, will take place in the national capital on Wednesdsay (February 19, 2020). Zee Media sources said on Tuesday (February 18, 2020) that the first meeting of the newly-announced trust, which will oversee the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, will be held in the national capital on Wednesday.

The meeting will begin around 5 pm at the residence of K Parasaran, who is the first member of the trust. All members of the trust have already arrived in Delhi for the deliberations. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the head of the Ram Janmbhumi Nyas and the most respected seer in Ayodhya, has also been invited for the meeting.

There were earlier reports that the first meeting of the trust would take place in Prayagraj During Wednesday's meeting, the chairman, general secretary and treasurer and other office-bearers of the newly-appointed trust are most likely to be elected.

A bank account will also be opened in the name of the trust for accepting donations for the construction of Ram temple will be accepted. During the meeting, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das may be elected as the chairman of the trust, the sources said earlier.

Speaking in Lok Sabha, PM Modi had announced the setting up of an independent trust to finalise the details for the construction of a Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. Sources asserted that the trust will comprise a total of 15 members - 9 permanent and 6 nominated members. The body, to be called Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust, has been formed as per the directions of the Supreme Court, pointed out the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha.

K Parasaran was appointed as the first member of the trust and Ayodhya District Magistrate (DM) Anuj Kumar Jha was named the convening member. The seven other permanent members are - Shankaracharya Vasudevanand Maharaj, Parmanand Jimaharaja Haridwar, Swami Govindgiri Ji Pune, Vimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, Dr Anil Mishra Homeopathic Ayodhya, Dr Kamaleshwar Chaupal Patna, and Mahant Dhinedra Das Nirmohi Akhara. The six nominated members will be selected by the board of trustees later.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust will take all decisions for the construction of a massive and grand Ram Temple on the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, added PM Modi. The decision to form the trust was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

The 67.703 acres of land along with the inside and outside courtyard will be transferred to the Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra for the construction of the Ram Temple. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification announcing that the office of the trust will be in New Delhi.  As per the home ministry, the trust's registered office is at R-20, Greater Kailash Part-1, New Delhi.

Referring to the Supreme Court order on the Ayodhya case on November 9, 2019, PM Modi said the judgement was in favour of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the decision to form the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust. According to the Supreme Court order, the Sunni Waqf Board will be given 5 acres of land in Ayodhya, announced the Prime Minister.

"On November 9, 2019, I was in Punjab for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor's inauguration. During the inauguration ceremony, the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya was delivered and I got to know about the historic decision. Uttar Pradesh government has already given its approval for giving 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board," he said.

Announcing another major decision taken by the Union Cabinet, he declared the government will also develop the area around the proposed Ram Temple in Ayodhya as a major pilgrimage and tourist attraction.

In a related development, the Uttar Pradesh government also issued a notification saying the government has already issued an allotment letter of a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board, as ordered by the Supreme Court in its November 8, 2019 verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute.