Ayodhya temple trust to accept foreign donations after FCRA registration

The temple trust, which is in charge of monitoring the development of the Ram temple complex in Ayodhya, is anticipated to receive permission from the union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to begin obtaining foreign contributions through NRI accounts in November, reported Hindusthan Samachar.

NRIs and foreigners who desire to contribute to the temple would be able to do so before its formal opening. The trust receives more than Rs 1 crore every month in contributions from daily pilgrims and individuals living in various regions of the country. However, because it has not yet obtained Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration, the trust has been unable to take donations from outside the country.

Prakash Kumar Gupta, in charge of the trust’s camp office in Ayodhya, stated, “All formalities have been completed. Necessary documentation has also been completed. We aim to receive approval from the MHA in November and will then begin taking donations from other countries.”

Gupta stated that every day, Indians living abroad question about the procedure for transferring foreign cash. “However, we tell them to be patient and to keep checking the trust’s website at regular intervals. Once we receive clearance, we will update the details on the website,” he continued.

The Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra, which was announced in February 2020, requested for FCRA registration in May after providing an audited statement of its bank accounts for the previous three years, along with other documentation.

According to sources, it typically takes six months to process registration applications, so the trust expects to receive permission by November 30. The trust’s NRI or FCRA account will be opened at the SBI’s main office on Parliament Street in Delhi. Uttar Pradesh has 694 FCRA-registered organisations, eight of which are currently functioning and receives foreign contributions in Ayodhya-Faizabad.

While the majority of the temple’s building work will be completed by November 30, funds received before to the temple’s projected completion in January 2024 will be used to improve pilgrim facilities.