New Ayodhya township project makes land in villages priceless
At present, officials and politicians have purchased land at throwaway prices in the two villages (Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur) SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE REVENUE DEPARTMENT
LUCKNOW : Controversies over land deals in Ayodhya seem to have become the order of the day.
This time, recent land purchase deals in Ayodhya allegedly involving some senior officials of the Uttar Pradesh government and politicians in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur villages —the proposed sites for the New Ayodhya project — have come into focus.
New Ayodhya, the mega township project of the Yogi Adityanath government, will cover a large chunk of the land in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur, the two adjacent villages.
Around 1190 acre of land will be acquired in this area (Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur) for the project that will be implemented in two phases.
After the state government approved this mega project, some bureaucrats, politicians and land sharks allegedly started eying land in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur villages.
According to officials of the state government’s revenue department, land in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur became prime the day the New Ayodhya project was approved.
“At present, officials and politicians have purchased land at throwaway prices in the two villages (Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur),” said a senior official of the revenue department. “But, when the state government acquires land for the New Ayodhya project, land owners will get two to four times compensation as per the land rate at that time (when the land will be acquired),” the official added.
“For this reason, everyone wants to own a piece of land in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur,” the official asserted.
Approximately 25,539 sq metre (the estimate is on the lower side) land has been purchased at Manjha Barhata, Shahnawazpur, Birauli, Rampur Halwara Uparwar and Tihur Manjha villages in Ayodhya by around 15 prominent people, including bureaucrats, other officials and politicians.
In Maheshpur adjoining Gonda district (across the Saryu river) also land has been purchased.
The list of buyers could go up as the names of only prominent persons have come to light.
Another factor that has made land in Manjha Barhata lucrative is the state government’s long pending project for installation of a 251-foot statue of Lord Ram in this village.
For this project, 85.977 hectare land has to be acquired.
After clearance from the state government, the then Ayodhya district magistrate Anuj Jha had issued a notification in January 2019 for acquiring 85.977 hectare land at Manjha Barhata on the bank of the Saryu river for the project.
But the project could not take off after some locals approached the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, challenging land acquisition. The high court had directed the state government to resolve all issues before acquiring land in the village.
Ayodhya became a favourite destination for investors, bureaucrats and politicians after the November 9, 2019 verdict of the Supreme Court in favour of Ram temple. After construction of Ram temple began at Ram Janmabhoomi, land prices started to increase in Ayodhya.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the additional chief secretary (ACS)/principal secretary, revenue, to probe and submit a report about the land deals that were made in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court verdict.
An official spokesman had said on Wednesday the principal secretary, revenue, has been asked to probe and submit a report following a newspaper report that legislators, officials, other functionaries and private individuals have bought land in Ayodhya anticipating hefty gains.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has demanded a high-level inquiry into the purchase of land in Ayodhya.
Addressing a press conference, the BSP chief said it’s a serious matter. The Supreme Court should also take cognizance and intervene, she said. The land deals should be cancelled, the BSP chief demanded. Under scrutiny Controversy is due to some alleged land deals of a private trust, which owns the land in Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur villages. Officials and politicians have allegedly purchased land from this trust.
The land deals of this trust are under scrutiny as it had allegedly purchased land from Dalit villagers by using a Dalit employee.
New Ayodhya township After construction of Ram temple, the most ambitious project for Ayodhya will be the proposed new township at Manjha Barhata and Shahnawazpur on the Lucknow -Gorakhpur highway. Uttar Pradesh Awas Vikas Parishad (UP Housing Board), a state government body, will implement the project.