Crowd-funding for Ram temple crosses Rs 2,500 crore

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 6

The funds received by the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust through crowd-funding for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya during the 42 day nationwide campaign has crossed Rs 2,500 crore, and the figure is expected to eventually go up.

The campaign was launched on January 15 and concluded on February 27. The campaign was led by VHP with support of other constituents of the “Sangh Parivar”. The Trust had authorised VHP and the RSS regarding it.

“Nine lakh volunteers were involved in the campaign,” Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai said here on Saturday.

He said the computing of the funds till March 4 shows that it has crossed Rs 2,500 crore.

He said the figure will further increase in the final tally. The computing process is still on.

Responding to a question, he said the largest contribution for the temple construction is likely to be from the state of Rajasthan.

“The details relating to the funds would be made public after they are audited,” Rai said.

He added no roadblock was created during the campaign by the TMC government in West Bengal.

Rai said that although the campaign date for collection of the funds is over, devotees who were left out may do so online.

The volunteers and leaders involved in the campaign visited four lak villages and, in all, contacted 10 crore households across the country.

He said thousands of members from Muslim faith also contributed funds for construction of the temple.

When asked if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was contacted to seek donations, Rai said: “There has to be some kind of relationship with someone to ask for something.”

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