Lucknow, June 22: Following the devastating fire incident in Aliganj, Lucknow, old records and actions taken by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) regarding the building have come under intense scrutiny. The building where the tragic fire broke out on Monday had been issued a demolition order in 2016 for unauthorized construction. However, the order was revoked in less than two months.
According to official records, the building, numbered MS/102/D and located in Sector D of the Aliganj Scheme, was originally allotted to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahay, on July 11, 1980, under a hire-purchase scheme through a lottery. Following the execution of the agreement on November 4, 1980, possession of the property was handed over to the allottee.
In 2005, the property was registered in the names of Vijay Kumar and his wife Usha through a sale deed.
Later, on January 19, 2013, the couple sold the property to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla. The Lucknow Development Authority completed the mutation process in their favour on August 7, 2014.
The building, spread over approximately 1,992 square feet, received approval for a residential building plan on August 20, 2014, under the self-certification building plan scheme.
However, authorities later detected unauthorized construction on the premises. Consequently, the Lucknow Development Authority registered Case No. 08/2016 against Virendra Pratap Shukla. Following an investigation, the competent authority issued a demolition order for the unauthorized construction on May 10, 2016.
The demolition order, however, was revoked on July 5, 2016—less than two months after it was issued. The reversal has now come under renewed scrutiny following the recent fire, raising questions about the circumstances under which the demolition order was withdrawn.
