The Allahabad High Court today directed the Faizabad commissioner, the team from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and agencies preparing to excavate the disputed Ayodhya site not to brief the media on the progress of the dig due to begin tomorrow.Confirming that this could be ‘‘my last briefing on the excavation job,’’ Faizabad commissioner R M Srivastava said there were new directions from the High Court for fresh marking of points, in the presence of representatives of parties to the dispute, in the area where the excavation will be undertaken.This in effect means that the dig may not start at 8 am, as scheduled, because the ASI team will have to re-mark the spots. Tents have already come up at the points where the ASI plans excavation and a crane was being brought in to remove artifacts and other objects strewn on the ground.Lists were being drawn of persons who would be present during the exercise, of the equipment that would be used. This information would be passed to the High Court. After receiving representations from some parties that their nominees could not make it to the site by 8 am, the High Court directed that the dig be undertaken from 10 am.‘‘The court has not specified by what time should the excavation end. But this job is normally done in daylight,’’ Srivastava said. ASI joint director general R S Bisht also reached Ayodhya today and made an on-the-spot assessment of places likely to be excavated.‘‘The coordination committee held its meeting today and a process has been adopted through mutual negotiation for the excavation job,’’ Srivastava said. With Jatindra Das, chief priest of the makeshift temple at the disputed site, expressing fears that excavation could threaten the place where the idol is installed, it was decided to post PWD engineers who could provide immediate assistance, if needed, during the dig.Over 50 labour hands have been distributed photo-identity cards and they have been waiting with shovels in nearby temples.
