Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the development plan for Ayodhya, prepared by officials of the Uttar Pradesh Government. The UP government envisages Ayodhya to become a spiritual centre, a global tourism hub and a sustainable smart city. Some of the development projects being undertaken in the city include an airport, the expansion of the railway station, bus stations and roads and highways. Besides these, the setting up of a greenfield township with lodging facilities for devotees, ashrams, hotels and bhavans for various states, a tourist facilitation centre and a world-class museum were also discussed.
According to statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the city will be developed to ensure sustainability with adequate spaces for cyclists and people on foot. Traffic management will also be done in a modern manner using Smart City infrastructure. :"Ayodhya is both spiritual and sublime. The human ethos of this city must be matched by futuristic infrastructure, which is beneficial for everyone including tourists and pilgrims." The PM added that that developmental works in the town will continue in the foreseeable future. He termed Ayodhya as a "city by and for every Indian".
PM Modi's review of the city's development plan came days after allegations against the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust of an illicit land deal. Meanwhile, the plan for the construction of an airport in Ayodhya has come under scrutiny, with charges against the district administration that it is encroaching on a large chunk of land illegally, forcing several people to sell their land to the administration at an inadequate rate.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court directed the Ayodhya District Magistrate as well as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate concerned, and the Tehsildar to appear before it on June 29 through video-conferencing to explain their factual version on the allegations levelled against them in a petition. The petitioners have alleged that their land was forcibly taken without acquisition or consent. The Lucknow bench has asked the district officers concerned, the criteria on the basis of which the land was taken from locals in bulk for the construction of the airport.
