With the erstwhile royal family agreeing to donate about eight acres of prime land near the Surajkund area, Ayodhya is set to get a major cancer hospital which will be set up by Tata Group in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government, it is learnt.

Yatindra Mishra, a member of Ayodhya’s erstwhile royal family, told The Indian Express that the land on Ayodhya-Ambedkarnagar road near Suraj Kund area would be donated in memory of his father, Bimlendra Mohan Mishra, a scion of the Ayodhya royal family and also a trustee of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, who passed away in August last year.

“My great-grandfather donated land for Saket College as well as 52 other colleges in Ayodhya. My father donated land for the karyashala at Karsevak Puram, and my family also contributed funds to KGMU (King George’s Medical University) in 1904. So, when we were approached for land for a good cause, my uncle and I discussed it and agreed to donate about eight acres of our land near Suraj Kund,” Mishra said.

Sources said the cancer treatment hub is part of a broader plan of the state government, in collaboration with private players to develop Ayodhya as a healthcare hub. The initiatives include setting up of a 300-bed hospital and the upgradation of the existing Shri Ram Hospital, in addition to the cancer facility, to cater not only to Ayodhya but the wider region.

Chairman of the construction committee of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Nripendra Mishra, who was in Ayodhya for a two-day committee meeting, said that several decisions have already been taken by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department.

“For the upgradation of health facilities, Cabinet approval will also be sought, though the broad decisions have already been taken. The first step will be the upgradation of Shri Ram Hospital to enable it to provide emergency services and proper diagnostic facilities for serious diseases,” he said.

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He added that approval from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is required for the proposed 300-bed hospital. “The tender process has been completed, the construction agency has been finalised, and we hope ASI approval will be granted soon,” he said.

About the cancer treatment hub, Nripendra Mishra said that Namo Cancer Care Trust from the private sector would establish the facility. “The primary requirement for construction, including a no-objection certificate from the district administration, has already been fulfilled. Following the request for land from the royal family, construction work will begin,” he said.

He added that an agreement would be signed between the implementing organisation and the Raja of Ayodhya. “Most likely, a local trust will be formed, in which the Raja of Ayodhya will be a trustee in perpetuity, ensuring that a member of the royal family remains part of the trust,” he said, adding that the aim is to start OPD services within two years.

Nripendra Mishra further said that a preliminary project report has been prepared and that the final detailed project report, including procurement plans—some of which may involve imports—will be ready within the next three months.

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Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Rakesh Kumar said the cancer treatment centre would function on a “hub-and-spoke” model, with the facility acting as a “hub” and hospitals across the region serving as “spokes”, referring patients for specialised treatment.

“With rising cases of oral and throat cancers in Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Bihar, the centre will also focus on research and the development of targeted treatment for these diseases,” he said.