In a departure from convention, the Yogi Adityanath Government on Thursday held its Cabinet meeting in Ayodhya as the city gears up for opening of the magnificent Ram temple in January 2024.
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Adityanath approved several proposals which included building a temple museum and Ayodhya Research Institute as the International Ramayana Vedic Research Institute. Adityanath said after the meeting that a new chapter has been added in the history of Uttar Pradesh. The State Cabinet meetings are held in the capital city of Lucknow.
This was only the second time a cabinet meeting of Uttar Pradesh has been held outside Lucknow while the first was in Prayagraj in January, 2019 ahead of the Mahakumbh. Standing before a banner that had pictures of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman, the Chief Minister announced 14 proposals were approved in the Cabinet meeting that includes holding the Winter session of the State Assembly from November 28.
Yogi and his Cabinet colleagues were also wearing yellow gamchha (scarves) with Sri Sita Ram written on it. November 9 holds significance as the Supreme Court on this date in 2019 passed its verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case, paving the way for the construction of Ram Temple.
Besides the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in 1989 conducted a foundation stone laying ceremony for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on November 9. Government sources said all Cabinet ministers were asked to be in Ayodhya for the Cabinet meeting and those who were assigned election duty for the ongoing polls campaign in neighbouring States, were also asked to ensure their presence considering the cabinet agenda for major announcements besides the significance of the location and the occasion- Ayodhya.
Ahead of the meeting that was held at the Ramkatha Mandap (auditorium) located on the banks of the Saryu river, the CM along with his cabinet colleagues visited Hanuman Garhi and the Ram temple. Briefing the media Yogi said that the cabinet gave its nod to the proposal to set up Uttar Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority that will explore water bodies in the state for transport opportunities. The Cabinet also approved a proposal for formation of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Vikas Parishad in Ayodhya. Along with this, a proposal to allocate 25 acre of land in Manjha Jamthara was also given a green signal for a temple museum.
According to government officials, the main objective behind the temple museum is to develop awareness among the younger generation about the Hindu religion. The museum will have different galleries showcasing various aspects of a temple like its design, construction, etc. The cabinet also decided to form Maa Pateshwari Devipatan Development Council that will take care of the development of the Devipatan Division located along the Indo-Nepal border. A proposal for the formation of Shukarteerath Vikas Parishad for development of Shukratal in Muzaffarnagar was also approved. It is believed that at Shukratal, Sukadeva Goswami narrated the sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) to Maharaja Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, about 5,000 years ago. This is one of the famous holy destinations in north India. The cabinet also approved the implementation of the Drone Policy in the state where it will be mandatory to get drones registered with the nearby police station. Besides, a proposal to provincialise “Dauji Lakhi fair” in Hathras, all prominent fairs of Ayodhya, Ganga Mela in Bulandshahr and Dev Diwali event in Varanasi were also approved. The cabinet also passed a proposal to set up plants at district level with the help of women self-help groups to provide food security to women and young children by providing them nutritious food products. Cabinet Minister Nand Gopal Nandi said the “historic moment cannot be expressed in words. This day is historical and will be written in history in golden letters and we, the coming generations of this country and state.” “Congratulations to respected Yogi ji and many thanks to the people of the state. Today’s agenda will be amazing and unprecedented and public interest will be at stake. Today’s meeting will be dedicated to the development of Ayodhya,” Cabinet Minister Jaiveer Singh said. According to Temple Construction Committee Chairperson Nripendra Mishra the construction of the ground floor of the three-storey Ram Mandir will be completed by December-end and the consecration ceremony have been organised for January 22, 2024, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. ENDS
