Ram temple in 3 yrs to cost Rs 1100 cr says Trust treasurer

    Mumbai, Jan 24 (PTI) The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be
built in around three years and the construction cost of the
project will exceed Rs 1100 crore, a prominent functionary of
the temple trust has said.
    "The main temple will be built in three to three and a
half years and will cost Rs 300-400 crore. The expenditure on
the development of the entire 70 acre land there will exceed
Rs 1100 crore," said Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer
of Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Nyas.
    He said he arrived at these figures after consulting
experts involved in the Ram temple construction project.
    The Nyas (trust) has not come out with an official
statement so far on the expenditure involved in the project,
he said while talking to ABP Majha Marathi TV channel.
    "It was possible for us to raise funds (for the temple
construction) from some corporate people. Some (corporate)
families had approached us, requesting us to hand over the
(temple) designs and assuring us they will complete the temple
project, but I humbly declined that request," he said.
    To a query on criticism from some quarters that the
Ram temple funds collection drive is a BJP campaign keeping in
view the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he said, "People see this
depending on the colour of spectacles they wear. We don't wear
any spectacles and our eyes are pointing at the path of
devotion."
    "Our target is to reach 6.5 lakh villages and 15 crore
homes (for collecting funds for the temple work)," he said.
    Asked if he is willing to go to Maharashtra Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence Matoshree in suburban
Mumbai to collect funds for the Ram temple construction, he
said, "I am willing to go there if he is ready to contribute."
    "Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Legislative Council
Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe has given us a one kg silver
brick," he said.
    The Swami was at the Rashtrapati Bhavan last week when
President Ram Nath Kovind contributed Rs 500,100 for the Ram
temple construction at Ayodhya.
    Asked if he would visit the residence of Congress
leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to seek contribution for
the temple, he quipped, "I am ready to do that if someone were
to guarantee that I wont's be disrespected there." PTI VT
VT VT

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)