Ayodhya mosque plan rejected by development authority over pending NOCs: RTI reply

The Supreme Court, in its November 9, 2019 verdict, had mandated the allotment of five acres of land to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque and related facilities at a prominent location in Ayodhya (Representative Image)

The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has rejected the plan submitted for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village, citing non-receipt of no-objection certificates from government departments.

The land was allotted to the state Sunni Central Waqf Board in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict. In response to an RTI query, the ADA, through a letter dated September 16, said the mosque trust's application -- submitted on June 23, 2021 -- was rejected due to the absence of clearances from departments, including Public Works, Pollution Control, Civil Aviation, Irrigation, Revenue, Municipal Corporation, and Fire Services.

The Supreme Court, in its November 9, 2019 verdict, had mandated the allotment of five acres of land to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque and related facilities at a prominent location in Ayodhya.

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

The ADA also confirmed that the mosque trust had deposited Rs 4,02,628 as application and scrutiny fees for the project, according to its response to the RTI query filed by journalist Om Prakash Singh.

Reacting to the rejection, mosque trust secretary Athar Husain said, "The Supreme Court mandated the land for the mosque and the Uttar Pradesh government allotted the plot. I am speechless why the government departments have not given no-objection and why the authority has rejected the mosque's plan." Husain said that during a site inspection, the fire department had raised concerns about the approach road, stating that it should be at least 12 metres wide as per norms for the proposed mosque and hospital building, whereas the road at the site is only about six metres wide and just four metres wide at the main approach of the mosque.

"Apart from the fire department's objection, I have no idea about the objections of other departments," he added.