The Uttar Pradesh government will be allowed to acquire 5 acres of land near Vrindavan's Banke Bihari temple to build a proposed corridor using the temple funds. Allowing this today, the Supreme Court, however, stipulated that the land has to be registered in the name of the deity.
A bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice SC Sharma, after examining the state government's Rs 500 crore development plan for corridor, allowed the use of fixed deposit of Banke Bihari temple, overturning the order of the Allahabad High Court, which had prohibited the purchase of land around the temple using its funds.
The bench said, "We permit the state of Uttar Pradesh to implement the scheme in its entirety. The Banke Bihari Ji Trust has fixed deposits in the name of the Deity/Temple... It is the considered opinion of this court, that the state government is permitted to use the amount lying in fixed deposits to acquire the proposed land".
"However, the land acquired for the purpose of development of the temple and the corridor shall be in the name of the deity/trust," the court added.
The court's approval comes in the wake of incidents like the 2022 stampede at the Banke Bihari Temple.
The building plans though, have been massively controversial and drew protests from locals for more than two years.
The government's proposal is to build a corridor around the temple on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project in Varanasi.
Under the plan, the state government will acquire five acres of land around the iconic temple. But this area currently houses around 300 temples and residential buildings -- where people have lived for hundreds of years - that will now have to demolished.
The government has contended that the corridor will help in the movement of devotees. There is also hope that proper development of the area will bring in more tourists and pilgrims.
Multiple surveys have been held in the area - ordered by courts and the government.
