LUCKNOW: A day after the Aliganj fire claimed 15 lives, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Tuesday recommended disciplinary action against 18 officials, including a former Vihit Pradhikari, four zonal officers and 13 engineers, for alleged lapses in preventing unauthorised construction.The move came after LDA Vice-Chairman Prathamesh Kumar met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who summoned him and sought a detailed report on action taken against illegal constructions in the city.
Earlier, the LDA VC issued a notice to the owner of the commercial building where the fire occurred, directing him to submit documents and explain why the structure should not be demolished. The owner has been asked to respond within a specified timeframe.On Monday, the government suspended four officials, including an executive engineer of UPPCL, two LDA engineers and a fire officer. Besides, four accused, including the building owner and three people operating businesses in the premises, were arrested. The government also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident and fix accountability.Following the meeting with the Chief Minister on Tuesday, the VC submitted a report to the state government after reviewing records related to the Aliganj property, including its allotment, registration, sanctioned plan and construction history.The inquiry found that the building, originally sanctioned as a single-storey residential structure, was gradually converted into a multi-storey commercial establishment. Despite clear violations, officials allegedly failed to take effective enforcement action, allowing the illegal construction to continue for years.The report also flagged officers who failed to ensure compliance with building regulations. The role of former Vihit Pradhikari Durgesh Srivastava, who was responsible for deciding cases related to unauthorised construction and land-use violations, has come under particular scrutiny.According to LDA records, Srivastava passed a demolition order in 2016, which was later withdrawn following a representation by the builder. The inquiry has questioned why compliance was not reverified after the order was revoked.Action has been recommended against former zonal officers and executive engineers Avnindra Singh, BP Maurya, PC Pandey and Anand Mishra. Assistant engineers named in the report include Sunil Kumar, Girish Chandra Sharma, Amar Kumar Mishra, RS Singh, Anil Kumar and Sanjay Shukla.Junior engineers against whom action has been proposed include Jai Prakash Narayan, Ravindra Kumar Srivastava, Gyan Prakash Srivastava, Pramod Pandey, Ambrish Kumar Sharma, Shivanand Shukla and Hemant Kumar, who is currently under suspension.The LDA has also issued a notice to the building owner, asking him to submit documents and explain why the structure should not be demolished within a specified timeframe.“If the response is unsatisfactory and violations are established, demolition action will follow,” Kumar said.Officials added that a prima facie inquiry indicated that the premises were being used in violation of approved norms. TOI had reported on Tuesday that a demolition notice had been served on the owner in 2016 but was revoked within two months.Meanwhile, the LDA will launch a citywide inspection drive from Wednesday, targeting coaching centres, libraries, hotels, nursing homes and other establishments operating in residential areas. Buildings found violating construction or fire safety norms will be sealed, officials said.
