THE three-storey commercial building where a tragic fire claimed 15 lives was issued a demolition order in 2016 over unauthorised construction, but the order was revoked less than two months later, the UP Government has said in a statement. The building, located in Sector D of the upscale Aliganj Scheme locality, was originally allotted on July 11, 1980, to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahay, under a hire-purchase scheme through a lottery system. 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. They subsequently sold the property to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla on January 19, 2013. On August 7, 2014, the Lucknow Development Authority completed the mutation process in favour of Virendra and Surendra, according to the statement issued late on Monday night.

 

The building, spread over approximately 1,992 square feet, received approval for a residential-use building plan on August 20, 2014, under the self-certification building plan scheme. However, unauthorised construction was later found on the premises. The Lucknow Development Authority subsequently registered a case against Virendra Pratap Shukla. Following an investigation, a demolition order was issued against the unauthorised construction on May 10, 2016. However, two months after the demolition order was issued, it was revoked on July 5, 2016, raising questions about the circumstances under which the decision was reversed, the statement said. The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has issued a demolition notice for the Aliganj building, officials said on Tuesday. Authorities have also launched a crackdown against its own officials in connection with the illegal operation of the residential building as a commercial space. “We have once again issued a demolition notice over (construction) violations for the Aliganj building where the fire incident took place on Monday,” LDA VC Prathamesh Kumar told PTI.

 

“We have also initiated inquiry against officials for laxity and action will be taken against them,” Kumar said. The process to identify such officials and their role in the negligence has begun. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday cancelled almost all his scheduled programmes, including visits to Hathras and Agra, in the wake of the fire tragedy in Lucknow, in which at least 15 people were killed and several others injured, officials said. The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh also announced the suspension of all its organisational programmes scheduled for Tuesday, expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident. Meanwhile, the State Government has initiated a crackdown following the tragedy.

 

A high-level meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s residence, where he ordered the formation of a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism, Religious Affairs and Culture) Amrit Abhijat and Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow Zone, Praveen Kumar. The SIT has been asked to submit its report within seven days. Police said they have arrested four accused persons -- Ram Krishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, Tushak Krishna Jaiswal and Suresh Kumar Sahoo in connection with the incident. Further legal action is underway. Four officials have also been suspended, including officials from the electricity department, fire department and Lucknow Development Authority.