Foreign donations for Ram temple likely from Nov

Ayodhya: The temple trust, overseeing the completion of the Ram temple complex in Ayodhya, is expected to get clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to start securing foreign funds via NRI accounts from November.

NRIs and foreigners wanting to make their contribution to the temple will get an opportunity to do so before its formal inauguration.

The trust is collecting more than Rs 1 crore in a month through the contributions of daily pilgrims and individuals settled in various parts of the country.

However, the trust has been unable to accept donations from outside the country as it is yet to obtain Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration.

In-charge of the trust’s camp office in Ayodhya, Prakash Kumar Gupta said: “All the formalities have been completed and necessary documentation has been done. We are hopeful of getting clearance from the MHA in November and will start accepting donations from other countries.”

Gupta said that daily, Indians settled abroad inquire about the process that needs to be followed to transfer foreign funds.

“But we tell them to wait for some time and keep checking the trust’s website at regular intervals. We will update the details on the website once we get the clearance,” he added.

Notified in February 2020, the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra applied for the FCRA registration in May after it was able to furnish the audited statement of its bank accounts for three years along with other documents.

Sources said that normally it takes six months to process the registration applications and hence the trust is expecting the clearance by November 30.

The NRI or the FCRA account of the trust will be opened at the SBI main branch at Parliament Street, Delhi.

Uttar Pradesh has 694 FCRA registered organisations out of which eight are presently active in Ayodhya-Faizabad and receive foreign funds.

While majority of the construction work of the temple will get over by November 30, the contributions pouring in before the launch that is scheduled for January 2024, will be utilised in improving the facilities for the pilgrims.

–IANS