Maya runs into HC wall

Hearing a petition filed by one Sangam Lal Pandey,the bench of Justices Pradeep Kant and Ritu Raj Awasthi today met at Kant’s residence and issued orders to LDA vice-chairman,PWD engineer-in-chief,managing director of UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN) and Lucknow municipal commissioner to be present during the next hearing and help the court understand the issue.

Chief standing counsel D K Upadhaya,who argued for the state government,has been asked to inspect the site and submit a report in the next hearing listed on September 22.

Last year,the UPRNN had erected a 200-metre-long wall of sand stone on the road between Kanshiram Smarak Sthal and nearby Kailsahpuri Colony. The road was ending at the posterior end of memorial complex. To extend the wall towards the Jail Tri-junction,the UPRNN had started digging at site on Saturday.

Pandey has accused the UPRNN of felling trees and carrying out construction in the area that was declared a green belt by the state government in 2002. The petition says the wall would result in shrinking of the three-km-long 50-feet road from the Jail Tri-junction to VIP Road into 12 feet. “While the proposed wall would virtually choke the houses in front of the road,the shrinking of the road would hamper free movement of people,” said Altaf Mansoor,the petitioner’s lawyer.

The petition also opposes the levelling up of the 5ftx8ft drain constructed in 1996 at the cost of Rs 50 lakh on the initiative of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The petition also claims there is a plan to level three ponds and demolish Brahm Dev graveyard at the site.

Interestingly,the petitioner had earlier moved the Supreme Court against the construction of eco-park at the jail demolition site. Earlier,the Mayawati government had assured the court it would develop eco-park in place of demolished Lucknow jail and not on any memorial site.

“Pandey was allowed to approach the High Court in Lucknow. Considering the urgency and gravity of the matter,Court sat on a holiday and stayed the constructions today,” Mansoor said.