LDA to focus on checking corruption

Lucknow: In a bid to streamline functioning in the Lucknow Development Authority and check corruption, it has been decided that all files related to trans –Gomti will be scrutinized by its secretary and the cis-Gomti by additional secretary.

After change of government in the state, LDA is on the scanner of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The development authority is also streamlining its work in sync with the state government’s directives.

In order to ensure proper screening of work, LDA secretary, Arun Kumar, would vet all files related with trans-Gomti area before forwarding them to the vice-chairman of the authority.

Similarly, additional secretary, Seema Singh, would examine all files related with projects executed in cis-Gomti area of the city before handing them over to vice-chairman of the authority.

It may be pointed out that the development authority has drawn flak after change of government in the state after gross anomalies and large scale misappropriation of funds in the development authority came to light.

Further, the development authority has also empowered all its zonal executive engineers with the authority to seal illegal buildings.

Earlier, the entire process of sealing of illegal buildings in the development authority was centralized. Two officers of the LDA of the rank of executive engineers were incharge of the sealing process.

In the present system, the development authority has divided the city into two partstrans-Gomti and cis- Gomti areas.

Divisional commissioner Anil Garg, who is also holding the charge of the LDA VC, has decided to do away with the ongoing system of sealing of illegal buildings.

It may be pointed out that the development authority has always drawn flak for illegal constructions in the city.

In the last financial year, 340 illegal constructions were identified in cis- Gomti area.

Out of this, 328 constructions were identified for demolition and against 11 structures compounding fee was levied.

In the same period in transGomti area, the development authority had identified 383 illegal constructions.

Out of this 71 were sealed, 12 demolished and compounding fee of Rs 7,02,00,000 was realised.