Provide facilities at Ram Janma Bhoomi; SC to Centre, UP

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today asked the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to consider providing better amenities feasible in the present scenario to pilgrims at ' Ram Janma Bhoomi' site near the disputed structure at Ayodhya.

"Let us do something. If possible, do something for the upkeep of the place and provide facilites for visitors," a bench of Justices A R Dave and Kurian Joseph said.

Earlier also, the court had asked the Centre to file its response to the application filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking facillities for the pilgrims.

Swamy had submitted that pilgrims, who are devotees of Lord Rama, are deprived of even basic facilities like drinking water and toilets and face difficulty due to inadequate arrangements made by both the Centre and UP government.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh said that the Centre would consider the plea made by Swamy.

Swamy had said the status quo order passed by the apex court in 1996 was limited to prohibit building of any structure at the disputed site.

In his application, he had sought an order from the apex court to "ameliorate the lot of millions of Hindu pilgrims who make the pilgrimage to the site of the 'Ram Janma Bhoomi' at Ayodhya, to have a 'darshan' and perform 'pooja'."