Ram Temple Trust restores ID cards, entry pass signed by former general secretary Champat Rai

Identity cards and entry passes bearing the signature of former Ram temple trust general secretary Champat Rai, which had recently been declared invalid, have been made valid again under an interim arrangement to ensure that construction and maintenance work at the temple is not disrupted, temple sources said. Under the temporary arrangement, authorised employees, engineers and technical officers will be allowed entry into the temple complex using the old identity cards until a new pass system is implemented, the sources said.

The move comes days after the entry of identity cards bearing Rai's signature was stopped following changes in the leadership of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. As a result, engineers and employees of agencies engaged in the temple project, including L&T, Tata, India Engineers Limited and Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, were reportedly denied entry to the complex. According to temple sources, the restrictions had begun to affect the supervision and coordination of ongoing works, including construction of the boundary wall, museum, Trust office and rest house, prompting the interim decision.

The development comes amid changes in the administration of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust following a controversy over the alleged misappropriation of gold and silver ornaments donated by devotees. The Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and an FIR was subsequently registered, leading to the arrest of multiple accused. This also led to Champat Rai stepping down as the Trust's general secretary, and Anil Mishra resigning. A new pass system is expected to be introduced after the administrative transition is completed.