Model of the under-construction Ram temple in Ayodhya

Ayodhya:  A report released by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has revealed that donations worth Rs 3,400 crore have been received so far by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The amounts received so far were on behalf of its district units across the country  reported PTI.  VHP also disclosed that 15,000 cheques worth more than Rs 22 crore bounced.

Although he report also gave information about the bounced cheques, it did not elaborate on the reasons they could not be honoured.

"A second report is also being prepared separating such cheques, so that we can get the exact information about cheques that have bounced due to various reasons," Prakash Gupta, office manager of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya, told PTI.

"Many cheques might have bounced due to spelling mistakes or signature mismatch or any other technical reasons. Cheques which bounced due to petty technical reasons would be presented again with the bank," he said.

The report revealed that the donors from Ayodhya district have the maximum number of bounced cheques, exceeding 2,000.

Insufficient balance in the account has also been seen as reason for bouncing of cheques, Gupta said.

The number of people donating from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for the construction of Ram temple is 31,663, he said.  1,428 donors gave Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh.

A total of 123 people donated between Rs 25 lakh and 50 lakh, and 127 donated between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore, Gupta said.

The number of people donating more than Rs 1 crore is 74, he added.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is the body entrusted with the construction of the temple at the site where the Babri Masjid once stood and was demolished by mob on December 6, 1992. Later in the litigation between the two sides,  the Supreme Court awarded the land of the mosque for the construction of a temple,  and ordered the allocation of a separate 5-acre plot for building a mosque.

According to figures given earlier by Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Nyas, the main temple would  cost ₹300-400 crore. The expenditure on the development of the entire 70 acre land there would exceed ₹1,100 crore.

(With inputs from PTI)

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