Surya Stambhs along the Dharm Path
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: Around four thousand fancy lights, which were installed on the busy Ram Path and other important crossings in the temple town of Ayodhya as part of its beautification project, have been stolen.
According to the police sources, the lights, which have been stolen, include 3800 bamboo lights and 36 gobo projector lights.
An FIR was lodged in this connection by the firms, who had been awarded the contract to install fancy lights in the temple town by Ayodhya Development Authority.
‘’The matter came to light during an inspection a few days back,’’ said an official of one of the firms.
The large-scale theft of the fancy lights has come as a shock to the saints and seers of the town, who questioned the efficacy of policing in Ayodhya.
‘’Despite the presence of such a large number of police personnel and the CCTVs all around, these lights were stolen ... it should be thoroughly investigated,’’ said a seer in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
A senior official in Ayodhya said that the matter was being investigated. He, however, said that stern action would be taken against the firms if the complaint of theft turned out to be false.
According to the sources, the district administration, it was very difficult to steal these lights as they were installed at quite a height. Sources said that there was a possibility that these lights had never been installed in the first place.
The state government had embarked upon an ambitious plan to beautify Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lala at the newly built Ram Temple in January this year.
The quality of the construction works carried out in Ayodhya, was however, questioned after roads were damaged and flooding near the Ram Temple after heavy rains in the town recently.