NEW DELHI (PTI): The Supreme Court August 5 appointed a three-member commission of experts, headed by the registrar general, to investigate and report in two weeks the nature and extent of construction of a cement platform on the acquired land in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh,
The commission’s report would enable the apex court to decide whether the platform had been put up in violation of court orders.
While the registrar-general of the apex court S. Rai will be the chairman of the commission, the other two members will be an architect and a civil and structural engineer, to be nominated by the directors of the Delhi school of planning and architecture and the Indian institute of technology respectively.
A division bench comprising justice M.N. Venkatachallaiah and justice G.N. Ray, which appointed the commission on a contempt Petition filed against the state of Uttar Pradesh, said the commissioners would inspect the acquired land around the disputed Ramjanam Bhumi-Babri mosque Structure and prepare a plan along with the existing structures and were entitled to employ surveyors and Draughts men to carry out their work.
The court, while appointing the commission, made it clear that it was doing so as there was controversy on the nature, extent, magnitude and purpose of the Construction put on the acquired land.
The commission will have five terms of reference:
1.The commissioners will make a report as to the nature, size and alignment of all such structures existing on the acquired land as on date.
2.The commissioners shall report whether the platform, a cement concrete structure, said to exist on the acquired land now, was a mere pilgrim amenity (as stated by the state government) or whether having regard to its size, dimension and strength, has the capacity to bear the load of a future, larger structure as a temple.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 21, 1992
