A six-member team appointed by the Supreme Court as amicus curiae, along with an IIT-Delhi professor, on Saturday conducted a ground survey of illegal constructions and unauthorised plotting in Lucknow, including commercial buildings operating on residential land in Aliganj.
The inspection puts the Lucknow Development Authority’s (LDA) enforcement action under direct scrutiny, as the Supreme Court has sought verification of steps taken against illegal construction in the city. The team subsequently inspected sites in Saraswan, behind the police headquarters in Gomti Nagar Extension, where the LDA had demolished illegal constructions. It also visited Wellness City to assess action taken against illegal constructions and unauthorised plotting.
The LDA had informed the Supreme Court that it had identified 51 commercial buildings in Aliganj constructed on residential land in violation of norms and had initiated action against them. However, action had been taken against only around 27 of the 51 properties.
The Supreme Court ordered the survey while hearing the Loknathan versus State of Tamil Nadu case concerning illegal constructions. The court had taken a strict view of violations in Lucknow, particularly after the Aliganj fire, and directed the amicus curiae to conduct a ground-level assessment. The team will now prepare its findings and submit its survey report to the Supreme Court. The exercise could lead to closer judicial scrutiny of illegal construction, land-use violations and unauthorised plotting in Lucknow.
