1,000+ Illegal Buildings, 2,000 Demolition Orders Pending: What LDA's Report To CM Yogi Reveals After Lucknow Fire

Published 24 June 2026 · local

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

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. ALSO READ: Lucknow Fire Fallout: UP Govt Orders Statewide Inspection Of Coaching Centres, Strict Action Over Safety Lapses 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 si story flats was approved.