LDA removes encroachers from its land in Sharda Nagar, razes over 30 structures
LUCKNOW :The Lucknow Development Authority got a large chunk of its land vacated from encroachers in Sharda Nagar on Thursday.
More than 30 structures, both permanent and temporary, had come up at the development authority’s land in Sharda Nagar. The illegal slum was named Ambedkar Basti. For the past several years the LDA’s land was under illegal possession.
On Thursday afternoon, the LDA’s anti-encroachment squad reached Ambedkar Basti in Sharda Nagar. Initially, there was stiff resistance from encroachers. But due to presence of cops, they started shifting their household belongings in pick-up van.
“The development authority’s land was encroached in Ambedkar Basti. More than 30 houses had come up there. All of them were demolished and the land was vacated from encroachers,” said RD Rai, executive engineer, LDA.
The LDA also sealed an illegal underconstruction house in Gudamba police station area. The development authority sealed the house of one Ramu Pal that was being constructed with approved map near Metro hospital, Gudamba.
Recently, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had started removing illegal occupants from its Basant Kunj housing scheme at Hardoi road after a long wait of 17 years.
It was in 2001-2002 that the development authority had launched the Basant Kunj hous- ing scheme for homeless people. Out of 1,006 houses, a large number of them were in illegal possession.
The LDA carried out the drive after Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had recently rapped the development authority, district magistrate and the Lucknow police for failing to restore possession of houses to original allottees.
In a recent survey carried out by the LDA, it was found that 900 rented properties of the development authority were in illegal possession, said sources.
The development authority’s properties are spread all across the city, including Napier Road colony, Kapoorthala complex, Pandey Ka Talab, Balda Road colony, Lalkuan, Paper Mill Colony, Akbari Gate, Tilak Nagar, Chowk, Billochpura, Lawrence Terrace, Aishbagh and Hata Khuda Baksh. These are some of the areas where the LDA’s rented properties are under illegal possession.
Recently, the LDA got evicted from encroachers its commercial land worth several crores at Vinamra Khand in Gomti Nagar. The development authority’s land was under illegal occupation of encroachers for the past several years.
It may be pointed out that the development authority has also launched a drive against commercial use of residential properties and restaurants operating from residential spaces across the city.
The development authority has also decided to identify its lands that are under illegal possession of encroachers across the city in all the six zones.