Ayodhya Mosque Plan Rejected by Development Authority Citing Pending Clearances, RTI Reveals
By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow: In a significant development related to the long-debated Ayodhya mosque project, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has formally rejected the construction plan submitted by the mosque trust for the proposed mosque in Dhannipur village.
The rejection, confirmed through a Right to Information (RTI) reply dated September 16, cites the absence of no-objection certificates (NOCs) from multiple government departments as the primary reason for the decision.
The land in Dhannipur was allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board in compliance with the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict of November 9, 2019, which settled the decades-old Ayodhya dispute.
The apex court had ordered the allotment of five acres of land at a prominent location in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque and related facilities, while simultaneously directing that the disputed site in Ayodhya town be handed over for the construction of a Ram temple.
Following this directive, on August 3, 2020, then District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha officially transferred possession of the Dhannipur plot to the Waqf Board.
The site, located about 25 kilometers away from the heart of Ayodhya city in Sohawal tehsil, was chosen by the state government as part of its compliance with the court’s judgment.
However, despite the legal clarity provided by the Supreme Court, bureaucratic hurdles have now stalled the mosque project.
According to the ADA’s RTI response to journalist Om Prakash Singh, the mosque trust’s application—originally submitted on June 23, 2021—was turned down due to the absence of mandatory clearances from several key government departments, including:
- Public Works Department (PWD)
- Pollution Control Board
- Civil Aviation Department
- Irrigation Department
- Revenue Department
- Municipal Corporation
- Fire Services Department
The ADA also confirmed that the mosque trust had deposited a fee of ₹4,02,628 towards application and scrutiny charges for the project, indicating that the planning process had been initiated in earnest.
Concerns Over Infrastructure and Safety
Among the objections raised, the Fire Department’s concerns about road width appear to have been a major sticking point.
During its inspection, the department highlighted that as per norms for large religious and public utility buildings, the approach road must be at least 12 metres wide to ensure access for emergency vehicles, especially since the proposed project also includes a hospital along with the mosque.
At present, the approach road to the site is significantly narrower—measuring about six metres in most stretches and shrinking to just four metres at the main entry point.
This infrastructural inadequacy could potentially complicate not just emergency access but also general traffic management once the mosque becomes functional, considering it is expected to draw large congregations.
Trust’s Reaction
Reacting to the ADA’s rejection, Athar Husain, secretary of the mosque trust, expressed disappointment and surprise.
He statedThe Supreme Court mandated the land for the mosque and the Uttar Pradesh government allotted the plot. I am speechless as to why government departments have withheld their no-objections and why the authority has rejected the mosque’s plan.”
Husain’s remarks underline the sense of frustration among the trust members, who view the lack of departmental approvals as a bureaucratic roadblock despite the Supreme Court’s clear directions.
Broader Context
The mosque in Dhannipur has been projected as not just a religious structure but a symbol of reconciliation and coexistence following one of India’s most sensitive legal and communal disputes.
The trust had announced that the project would include not only a mosque but also facilities such as a hospital, community kitchen, museum, and research center, aimed at serving people of all faiths.
However, since its inception, the project has faced a slow pace of execution, caught between legal, administrative, and logistical challenges.
The rejection of the mosque plan now places the project at yet another critical juncture, raising questions about the timeline of its execution and the government’s role in facilitating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
As of now, the ball seems to be back in the trust’s court to either address the infrastructural concerns, seek government intervention, or explore legal remedies to ensure that the project does not remain indefinitely stalled.
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