Rajasthan govt cancels land allotment for Baba Ramdev's yoga centre, food park

Jaipur: Unable to find a way to convert 'Mandir Maafi' land for commercial purposes, the Rajasthan government has finally dropped the idea of allotting the land to Baba Ramdev for his proposed yoga centre and food park. 

The government is now on the lookout to allot a different land to the proposed investment of Rs 500 crore by Baba Ramdev.

As reported earlier, government officials, who were reluctant to get embroiled into any controversy in the election year, said to have put their foot down on converting the 'Mandir Mafi' land for any other purpose. 

Now, the temple land will not be used for commercial or any other use. As per rules, the Patanjali trust cannot carry out construction on the 'Mandir Mafi' land.

Apart from this, the land agreement between Patanjali and the temple trust mentioned 435 bigha land. However, only 389 bigha land was available at the disposal of Patanjali. The land was also encroached upon and mired in legal issues. 

Thus, the agreement between Govind Devji Trust and the Patanjali Trust has been cancelled said sources. There will be a new agreement which will mention that the 'Mandir Mafi' land will be used only to cultivate herbal or medicinal plants. 

“It will only be allowed to set up a plantation,” government sources said.

The government has now changed its plan. The government will allot land at a different location for this purpose. For which the trust will file a new application with the state government.

The mega project, spread over 401 bigha in Karoli village, comprises a food park, a gurukul, a yogapeeth, an Ayurvedic hospital, an Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing centre and a cow shelter. 

The land belonged to the Govind Devji Trust because as per section 46 Rajasthan tenancy act 1955, such land belongs to the deity of the temple. 

Since the law considers the deity a minor, such land cannot be owned by any other person and it can neither be sold nor used for commercial purpose.