Ayodhya Development Authority Blocks Mosque Plan Due to Missing Clearances

Ayodhya, Sep 23 (PTI) — The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has turned down the plan for constructing a mosque in Dhannipur village, citing the absence of crucial no-objection certificates from various government departments. The Sunni Central Waqf Board was allocated this land as per the Supreme Court's ruling.

In a response to an RTI filed by journalist Om Prakash Singh, ADA disclosed through a letter dated September 16 that the mosque trust's application, submitted back on June 23, 2021, was rejected. The reason cited was the lack of clearances from multiple departments, such as Public Works, Pollution Control, Civil Aviation, Irrigation, Revenue, Municipal Corporation, and Fire Services.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling on November 9, 2019, ordered that five acres of land be assigned to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for a mosque and associated facilities in a significant location in Ayodhya.

Subsequently, on August 3, 2020, the then-district magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha handed over the possession of the designated land in Dhannipur village, Sohawal tehsil, located around 25 km from Ayodhya town.

The ADA also confirmed that the mosque trust had paid Rs 4,02,628 as application and scrutiny fees for the project.

Responding to the development, mosque trust secretary Athar Husain expressed his dismay, stating, "The Supreme Court mandated the land for the mosque and the Uttar Pradesh government assigned the plot. I find it perplexing why the government departments have not provided no-objections and why the authority turned down our mosque plan."

Husain further mentioned that during a site inspection, the fire department had raised concerns over the width of the approach road, asserting it should be at least 12 metres wide according to norms for the proposed mosque and hospital building. The existing road is approximately six metres wide and narrows down to just four metres at the main approach to the mosque.

"Apart from the fire department's concerns, I am unaware of any other departmental objections," he added.

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