On Sunday (December 24), the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) sealed the New FI Hospital as part of a crackdown on unlawful construction linked to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. Located at the Burlington Crossing in Lucknow, the FI Hospital is owned by Ansari’s close aide Siraj Ahmed. The LDA also began demolishing unlawful constructions in the parking lot of Ahmed’s other property, the FI Tower.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow Development Authority seals the FI Hospital belonging to a builder close to Mukhtar Ansari. The Hospital is located at Burlington Crossing in Lucknow. LDA will take the same action on the adjacent FI Tower. pic.twitter.com/FUwQJIM8Yr

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) December 24, 2023

This comes after the LDA’s earlier notification declaring that two floors – 7th and 8th- of the FI Tower, consisting of 24 flats and three penthouses on the 9th floor, were illegal. The notice additionally mentioned violations of building rules in the New FI Hospital.

After the notice, the LDA acted promptly on Sunday, enclosing the New FI Hospital and initiating the demolition of the FI Tower’s illegal parking constructions. The demolition was conducted amidst heavy security, with LDA Vice Chairman Indramani Tripathi personally supervising the demolition drive.

Moreover, the LDA filed an FIR at the Kaiserbagh police station against Ahmed and his accomplices Showeb Iqbal, Monis Iqbal, and Michael for violating building regulations. Whereas Monis Iqbal has already been apprehended and incarcerated, efforts are on to nab Michael and Siraj Ahmed.

Residents of FI Tower are outraged by the Lucknow Development Authority’s (LDA) action. The residents questioned where the Lucknow Development Authority was when these flats were constructed. They reportedly asked that if these flats were illegally built without a permit, why did the LDA not intervene. The FI Tower residents assert that they legally bought the flats.

In another move, the Lucknow Development Authority said that from next week, it will begin building affordable apartments on a 20,000 sqft property in the Dalibagh area, which has been liberated from Mukhtar Ansari’s hold. On the land, the authority intends to construct 72 affordable flats in two four-story buildings with 36 flats each for financially weak people.

According to a TOI report, the District Urban Development Authority will manage the allocation of flats to deserving recipients within a year. A private Gorakhpur-based company has been granted a construction contract of Rs 3.50 crore. After subsidies, the average cost of one flat is projected to be Rs 4.5 lakh. Pricing for potential residents will be set at a later date.