Jagran Correspondent, Lucknow: The action report on illegal construction in Lucknow, sought by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after the coaching fire incident, has exposed corruption and negligence in the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).
CM Yogi on Tuesday summoned LDA vice president Prathamesh Kumar, seeking details of all seal notices issued in all seven zones of the city and subsequent action, including demolition, between January 1 and June 20.
The action report revealed that illegal apartments, hotels, and commercial buildings were built with the connivance of LDA officials.
Similar to Aliganj, commercial complexes and buildings have been illegally constructed on 1,043 residential plots and buildings across the city, including Gomti Nagar, Aashiyana, and Kanpur Road. Some of these plots have been approved for single residential units. Notices have been sent to these plots under the new building construction policy.
Similarly, 157 hotels in Charbagh, contrary to residential land use, were constructed without approved maps. Following the Hotel Levana fire in September 2022, the LDA issued notices to these hotels as a formality.
2,000 demolition orders pending
The LDA's statutory court has issued demolition orders for nearly 2,000 large structures, similar to the Aliganj complex. The majority of these orders are for areas adjacent to Gomti Nagar and Chowk. Even after these demolition orders, the buildings stand tall.
The collusion between LDA officials and builders came to light during the demolition of Yazdan Apartments, built on Nazul land. Eight properties belonging to Yazdan Builders were discovered on Prag Narayan Road, Wazir Hasan Road, and Dalibagh. These were built using single-unit plans. Despite the cancellation of several plans, illegal construction continued.
The builder gifted flats in his apartments to several LDA engineers and officers in 2011 and 2012. Yazdan Builder, located near Purana Qila, right next to the Lucknow Montessori School, submitted a single-unit plan on March 27, 2015, and it was rejected on June 25, 2015. Despite this, a large apartment was built. More than 200 apartments have been built in several areas, including the metropolis, using the approved single residential unit plan.
Generosity even on Mukhtar Ansari
LDA officials also showed leniency towards Mukhtar Ansari. The LDA approved the map of the FI Tower Apartments, built near Burlington Square by builders Monis and Siraj Iqbal, close to mafia Mukhtar Ansari, on February 18, 1997.
Built on 23,000 square meters of land registered in the name of Lucknow Publishing House, the map for 72 six-story flats was approved. Instead of the approved map, an eight-story building was constructed, with two penthouses and 24 flats.
However, the LDA later demolished it. Similarly, a Ghazipur builder constructed a building right next to the LDA office in Lalbagh. Part of it also sits on LDA land. LDA officials, ignoring the rules, approved the mitigation plan for that building.
Demolition of 83 apartments stalled
Last year, the LDA identified 83 illegal apartments built without map approval through collusion between officers and engineers. The LDA issued demolition notices for these 83 illegal apartments across the city, including the Clay Square Apartments in Udayganj.
The owners were given 15 days to vacate the apartments. The apartments were built over the past 20 years. Demolition orders were issued in 2002, 2010, and 2012.
JE's posting record unavailable
The investigation launched after the Aliganj accident has revealed yet another administrative negligence. Additional Secretary Gyanendra Verma, Officer-in-Charge Ravi Nandan Singh, and three other members of the LDA's internal committee began investigating the names of junior engineers and supervisors posted in the area of the accident at the time and discovered that there was no record of their deployment.
Now, LDA Vice President Prathamesh Kumar has ordered the preservation of deployment records. Deployments will now be made at the Vice President and Secretary level, rather than the Chief Engineer.
Acquittal despite being guilty in probe
No action has yet been taken against those responsible for the fires at Hotel SSJ International, Hotel Virat, and Hotel Levana in Charbagh, where eight people died.
The inquiry committee submitted its report in just four months, finding more than 40 officers, engineers, and employees of the LDA, Fire Department, Electricity Department, District Administration, Tourism Department, and Excise Department guilty and recommending departmental action against them. In the meantime, many officers have retired, and some have passed away.
The rest were acquitted in 2024. After the Hotel Levana fire, a list of 22 engineers was presented to the government, holding them guilty. The government recommended action against two, but did not take action against the remaining 20. The investigation report is still pending.