News Analysis India

Tag: Lucknow

  • UP Brings Ordinance To Curb Paper Leaks, Offenders To Face Life Imprisonment |

    Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday cleared an ordinance to prevent question paper leaks and use of unauthorised means in exams, awarding jail term of two years to life imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1 crore.
    The move comes following recent incidents of question paper leak in the state police constable recruitment exam and public service commission test for review officers and assistant review officers.

    The ordinance was given a go ahead at a state cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Finance minister Suresh Khanna told reporters. Under the ordinance, those arrested for question paper leak would face a jail term ranging from two years up to life imprisonment, Khanna said at a press meet after the cabinet meeting. Fines of up to Rs 1 crore would also be imposed on such offenders, he added.

    The minister said the ordinance includes exams of state public service commission, Subordinate Service Selection Board, Uttar Pradesh Board, universities and institutions nominated by them. It will also be applicable on any kind of recruitment examinations, regularisation or promotion examinations, entrance examinations for degree-diploma certificates or educational certificates, he added.

    Under this ordinance, distributing fake question papers and making fake employment websites have also been marked as punishable offences, Khanna said. He said in case the examination is affected, the financial burden will be recovered from the “paper solving gang” and the institution. The service providers who commit irregularities in the examination will be permanently blacklisted and their property could also be confiscated.

    All the offences under the ordinance are cognizable, non-bailable and they can be heard in the sessions court. Strict provisions have also been made with regard to bail, he added. The minister also informed that since the assembly is not in session at present, an ordinance has been proposed in place of a bill. After the cabinet approves the proposal, the process of the ordinance will be completed and it will be implemented.

    He stated that the ordinance is being introduced in response to its urgent necessity and will be enacted under the provisions of the Constitution. The move also comes at a time when the issue of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams is raging in the country.

  • Woman, daughter killed after billboard outside Lucknow’s Ekana stadium falls on their car

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  A woman and her daughter were killed while their driver was injured after a billboard fell on their car outside the Atala Bihari Vajpayee (Ekana) Stadium, during a strong storm here on Monday.

    The accident took place in a posh locality under the Sushant Golf City police station area in the evening, said the police sources.

    Both the woman and her daughter were declared dead upon arrival by the doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.

    According to Gosaiganj Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Kumawat, the victims were identified as Preeti Jaggi (38) and her daughter Angel (15). They were residents of the Indira Nagar colony in the Ghazipur police station area. While Preeti, a single parent, was a software developer and her daughter Angel was a class 8th student.

    The victims were headed to a mall in the area with their driver Sartaj (28) when the accident happened, SHO (Sushant Golf City) Atul Kumar Srivastava said. The SHO said that the driver had been admitted to hospital in critical condition.  Further legal proceedings in the case were on, he added.

    The billboard, in front of the stadium’s gate number two, came down crashing down due to the storm and fell on their SUV, leading to the fatal accident.

    In a video that surfaced on social media, cranes could be seen deployed to remove the fallen billboard as the SUV remained under the debris. A trapped under the wreckage of a fallen billboard can be seen pleading for help.

    According to initial reports, the police were present at the scene, and all passengers were promptly taken to the hospital. An SDRF team also arrived at the sight of the accident to extract the bodies from underneath the debris. 

    The hoarding was likely related to the recent IPL matches held at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

    Sources claimed that a solitary pole had been bearing too many sign boards and a soft whiff of breeze brought it down, leading to the deaths of the mother-daughter duo.

    “The billboard was being managed by Orangis Advertisings and the responsibility of its upkeep also lied with the same advertising firm,” said Uday Sinha, Managing Director, Ekana Sportz City.

    LUCKNOW:  A woman and her daughter were killed while their driver was injured after a billboard fell on their car outside the Atala Bihari Vajpayee (Ekana) Stadium, during a strong storm here on Monday.

    The accident took place in a posh locality under the Sushant Golf City police station area in the evening, said the police sources.

    Both the woman and her daughter were declared dead upon arrival by the doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    According to Gosaiganj Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Kumawat, the victims were identified as Preeti Jaggi (38) and her daughter Angel (15). They were residents of the Indira Nagar colony in the Ghazipur police station area. While Preeti, a single parent, was a software developer and her daughter Angel was a class 8th student.

    The victims were headed to a mall in the area with their driver Sartaj (28) when the accident happened, SHO (Sushant Golf City) Atul Kumar Srivastava said. The SHO said that the driver had been admitted to hospital in critical condition.  Further legal proceedings in the case were on, he added.

    The billboard, in front of the stadium’s gate number two, came down crashing down due to the storm and fell on their SUV, leading to the fatal accident.

    In a video that surfaced on social media, cranes could be seen deployed to remove the fallen billboard as the SUV remained under the debris. A trapped under the wreckage of a fallen billboard can be seen pleading for help.

    According to initial reports, the police were present at the scene, and all passengers were promptly taken to the hospital. An SDRF team also arrived at the sight of the accident to extract the bodies from underneath the debris. 

    The hoarding was likely related to the recent IPL matches held at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

    Sources claimed that a solitary pole had been bearing too many sign boards and a soft whiff of breeze brought it down, leading to the deaths of the mother-daughter duo.

    “The billboard was being managed by Orangis Advertisings and the responsibility of its upkeep also lied with the same advertising firm,” said Uday Sinha, Managing Director, Ekana Sportz City.

  • Lucknow Diary: Innovation on a dozen wheels

    Innovation on a dozen wheels

    All that innovation needs is a brilliant mind and passion coupled with the patience to apply it. Asad Abdullah, 22, of Azamgarh proved it by developing a 6-seater electric cycle. Asad’s innovation got recognised by none other than Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, who tweeted a small video of the cycle and made the innovation so viral that the video crossed 1 million views since December 1.

    Mahindra tagged the chief design officer of the auto sector of his company asking if this device could find global application. With petrol prices increasing, Abdullah conceptualised the idea of developing an electric cycle in which six people can be accommodated.

    He used scrap material and the motor of an old battery-operated. two-wheeler to develop the cycle in a month’s time at a cost of Rs ₹10,000-12,000. “I want to make it commercial and sell it to others at an affordable price,” says Asad Abdullah, an ITI-trained diploma engineer in electricals.

    Lucknow touches zero covid mark

    After a long span of 32 months, the city of Nawabs touched zero Covid figure mark as the last patient recovered from the ailment and no new case was reported, claim health authorities. The last patient who recovered and was discharged on Tuesday had tested positive last week. “This zero is a precious figure and we are making all efforts to sustain the status in Covid,” said Dr Manoj Agrawal, Lucknow CMO.

    Lucknow has never had a status of zero Covid active cases since the 2020 pandemic. The first case in the state capital was reported in the third week of March 2020. Lucknow’s first Covid-19 patient was a doctor who returned from Canada. The second case reported was also that of a doctor and the third one was of a Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who turned out to be a mass spreader after returning from the UK.

    10 UP heritage sites up for adoption

    UP Archaeological directorate has shortlisted 10 heritage sites up for adoption under the ‘Adopt Heritage Scheme.’ These sites include the Alambagh building of Lucknow, Potrakund in Mathura, Kalpa Devi and Astik Baba temples in Sitapur, Caves of Devgarh of Lalitpur, Raj Mandir Guptar Ghat in Ayodhya, Lakshmi temple in Jhansi, Fort of Tahrauli in Jhansi, Fort of Balabehat in Lalitpur, Digragarhi inJhansi and Shiv temple of Bithoor in Kanpur.

    Those interested in adopting the heritage site would be known as Smarak Mitra who would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the department and work towards the conservation of the site. Smarak Mitras will also be responsible for arranging logistics for the tourists at the site.

    Innovation on a dozen wheels

    All that innovation needs is a brilliant mind and passion coupled with the patience to apply it. Asad Abdullah, 22, of Azamgarh proved it by developing a 6-seater electric cycle. Asad’s innovation got recognised by none other than Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group, who tweeted a small video of the cycle and made the innovation so viral that the video crossed 1 million views since December 1.

    Mahindra tagged the chief design officer of the auto sector of his company asking if this device could find global application. With petrol prices increasing, Abdullah conceptualised the idea of developing an electric cycle in which six people can be accommodated.

    He used scrap material and the motor of an old battery-operated. two-wheeler to develop the cycle in a month’s time at a cost of Rs ₹10,000-12,000. “I want to make it commercial and sell it to others at an affordable price,” says Asad Abdullah, an ITI-trained diploma engineer in electricals.

    Lucknow touches zero covid mark

    After a long span of 32 months, the city of Nawabs touched zero Covid figure mark as the last patient recovered from the ailment and no new case was reported, claim health authorities. The last patient who recovered and was discharged on Tuesday had tested positive last week. “This zero is a precious figure and we are making all efforts to sustain the status in Covid,” said Dr Manoj Agrawal, Lucknow CMO.

    Lucknow has never had a status of zero Covid active cases since the 2020 pandemic. The first case in the state capital was reported in the third week of March 2020. Lucknow’s first Covid-19 patient was a doctor who returned from Canada. The second case reported was also that of a doctor and the third one was of a Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who turned out to be a mass spreader after returning from the UK.

    10 UP heritage sites up for adoption

    UP Archaeological directorate has shortlisted 10 heritage sites up for adoption under the ‘Adopt Heritage Scheme.’ These sites include the Alambagh building of Lucknow, Potrakund in Mathura, Kalpa Devi and Astik Baba temples in Sitapur, Caves of Devgarh of Lalitpur, Raj Mandir Guptar Ghat in Ayodhya, Lakshmi temple in Jhansi, Fort of Tahrauli in Jhansi, Fort of Balabehat in Lalitpur, Digragarhi in
    Jhansi and Shiv temple of Bithoor in Kanpur.

    Those interested in adopting the heritage site would be known as Smarak Mitra who would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the department and work towards the conservation of the site. Smarak Mitras will also be responsible for arranging logistics for the tourists at the site.

  • Minor pushed to death by jilted lover from fourth floor in Lucknow

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: A minor girl, 17, was allegedly pushed to death by her jilted lover from the fourth floor of a residential building in Lucknow.

    The incident took place in Sector H, Basant Kunj under Dubagga police station limits of the state capital on Tuesday night.

    The Lucknow police have lodged a case against the youth named Sufiyan, 21, under sections pertaining to murder and provisions of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Four police teams have been set up to search the accused who is absconding. He had been trying to befriend the girl for the past one and a half years, said joint police commissioner Mordia here on Wednesday.

    Mordia said that the youth allegedly pushed the girl after an altercation when she refused to convert to Islam to marry him.

    Moreover, the cops claimed that they were looking into the role of the family of Sufiyan, basically a loiterer and a part-time painter, in the case. The victim Nidhi Gupta, who used to live in the same residential building along with her family, was doing a beautician’s course. The local sources claimed that Sufiyan used to harass the girl every now and then.

    ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh: Dalit youth beaten to death on suspicion of stealing guava in Aligarh

    According to police commissioner SB Shiradkar, on getting the information that a girl had fallen from the fourth floor of an apartment in Dubagga on Tuesday evening and that her family members had rushed her to Lucknow Trauma Centre, a police team also reached the hospital. However, by then the girl had succumbed.

    The initial investigation showed that Sufiyan had visited Nidhi in Trauma Centre and after getting the information about her death, he escaped from there. The Police commissioner said raids were being conducted to trace Sufiyan.

    Nidhi’s family told police they had recently got to know that Sufiyan had given a mobile phone to her and they reprimanded her for taking it. Nidhi’s parents asked her not to talk to Sufiyan again and broke the phone in a fit of rage.

    The sources claimed that after a few hours, Nidhi went to a nearby shop to get the phone repaired where Sufiyan was also present. He questioned Nidhi about the broken phone. She told him that her parents threw it and it got damaged. As a result, Sufiyan used abusive language against Nidhi’s family.

    Not able to bear the insult, Nidhi and her family went to confront Sufiyan at his house in another block in the same apartment to complain to his family. As the families engaged in a heated argument, Nidhi allegedly went upstairs and Sufiyan followed her. Her family alleged Sufiyan had taken Nidhi to the fourth floor and pushed her down from there.

    Hearing a big sound, Nidhi’s family rushed to the spot to find her lying in a pool of blood on the ground. She was rushed to the hospital, but Sufiyan and his family allegedly fled the spot after locking their house.

    As news of the death circulated in the locality, a mob pelted stones at Sufiyan’s house. The matter was resolved with police intervention.

    LUCKNOW: A minor girl, 17, was allegedly pushed to death by her jilted lover from the fourth floor of a residential building in Lucknow.

    The incident took place in Sector H, Basant Kunj under Dubagga police station limits of the state capital on Tuesday night.

    The Lucknow police have lodged a case against the youth named Sufiyan, 21, under sections pertaining to murder and provisions of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Four police teams have been set up to search the accused who is absconding. He had been trying to befriend the girl for the past one and a half years, said joint police commissioner Mordia here on Wednesday.

    Mordia said that the youth allegedly pushed the girl after an altercation when she refused to convert to Islam to marry him.

    Moreover, the cops claimed that they were looking into the role of the family of Sufiyan, basically a loiterer and a part-time painter, in the case. The victim Nidhi Gupta, who used to live in the same residential building along with her family, was doing a beautician’s course. The local sources claimed that Sufiyan used to harass the girl every now and then.

    ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh: Dalit youth beaten to death on suspicion of stealing guava in Aligarh

    According to police commissioner SB Shiradkar, on getting the information that a girl had fallen from the fourth floor of an apartment in Dubagga on Tuesday evening and that her family members had rushed her to Lucknow Trauma Centre, a police team also reached the hospital. However, by then the girl had succumbed.

    The initial investigation showed that Sufiyan had visited Nidhi in Trauma Centre and after getting the information about her death, he escaped from there. The Police commissioner said raids were being conducted to trace Sufiyan.

    Nidhi’s family told police they had recently got to know that Sufiyan had given a mobile phone to her and they reprimanded her for taking it. Nidhi’s parents asked her not to talk to Sufiyan again and broke the phone in a fit of rage.

    The sources claimed that after a few hours, Nidhi went to a nearby shop to get the phone repaired where Sufiyan was also present. He questioned Nidhi about the broken phone. She told him that her parents threw it and it got damaged. As a result, Sufiyan used abusive language against Nidhi’s family.

    Not able to bear the insult, Nidhi and her family went to confront Sufiyan at his house in another block in the same apartment to complain to his family. As the families engaged in a heated argument, Nidhi allegedly went upstairs and Sufiyan followed her. Her family alleged Sufiyan had taken Nidhi to the fourth floor and pushed her down from there.

    Hearing a big sound, Nidhi’s family rushed to the spot to find her lying in a pool of blood on the ground. She was rushed to the hospital, but Sufiyan and his family allegedly fled the spot after locking their house.

    As news of the death circulated in the locality, a mob pelted stones at Sufiyan’s house. The matter was resolved with police intervention.

  • Lucknow wall collapse: Rescue operation to pull out those trapped took 6 hours

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The police control room received a distress call in the wee hours of Friday regarding the people trapped under the debris of an under-construction boundary wall that had collapsed in the Dilkusha area here.

    The call made amidst heavy downpour at 3.24 am urged immediate intervention and help, police said.

    By 3.27 am, the message was passed on to the police station and the fire brigade, and in the next 15 minutes, the police force was walking in waist-deep water, looking for those trapped under the debris, they said.

    “As we reached the spot 15 minutes after the message was passed on to the police station, our first priority and effort were to locate the person who had made the call to the control room, and pull him out from the debris,” ACP Cantonment Anup Kumar Singh, who was also present at the spot of the incident, told PTI.

    “It was Golu, who had made the call to the police control room. After pulling him from the debris, he was sent to the Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital,” he said.

    The fire brigade team also arrived on the spot and the wall was gradually broken and debris were removed.

    Following this the bodies were pulled out one by one, he added. The rescue operation continued till around 9.30 am, amidst rains, Singh said, adding that the rains slowed down around the same time the operation ended.

    ALSO READ| Heavy rains in UP: Nine killed as wall of Army enclave collapses in Lucknow

    Narrating the scene and situation in which, the police, fire brigade and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) carried out the rescue operation, Singh said, “The scene and situation were such that there was absolute darkness, no electricity, continuous rainfall and water up to waist-level high in which the rescue operation was carried out.

    ” Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Piyush Mordia had also reached the spot to oversee the rescue work, he added.”

    “Some labourers were living in huts outside an Army enclave in the Dilkusha area. Owing to heavy overnight rains, the boundary wall of the Army enclave collapsed,” Joint Commissioner of Police Mordia told PTI.

    “We reached the spot around 3 am. Nine bodies were pulled out from the debris. One person was rescued alive,” he said.

    LUCKNOW: The police control room received a distress call in the wee hours of Friday regarding the people trapped under the debris of an under-construction boundary wall that had collapsed in the Dilkusha area here.

    The call made amidst heavy downpour at 3.24 am urged immediate intervention and help, police said.

    By 3.27 am, the message was passed on to the police station and the fire brigade, and in the next 15 minutes, the police force was walking in waist-deep water, looking for those trapped under the debris, they said.

    “As we reached the spot 15 minutes after the message was passed on to the police station, our first priority and effort were to locate the person who had made the call to the control room, and pull him out from the debris,” ACP Cantonment Anup Kumar Singh, who was also present at the spot of the incident, told PTI.

    “It was Golu, who had made the call to the police control room. After pulling him from the debris, he was sent to the Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital,” he said.

    The fire brigade team also arrived on the spot and the wall was gradually broken and debris were removed.

    Following this the bodies were pulled out one by one, he added. The rescue operation continued till around 9.30 am, amidst rains, Singh said, adding that the rains slowed down around the same time the operation ended.

    ALSO READ| Heavy rains in UP: Nine killed as wall of Army enclave collapses in Lucknow

    Narrating the scene and situation in which, the police, fire brigade and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) carried out the rescue operation, Singh said, “The scene and situation were such that there was absolute darkness, no electricity, continuous rainfall and water up to waist-level high in which the rescue operation was carried out.

    ” Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Piyush Mordia had also reached the spot to oversee the rescue work, he added.”

    “Some labourers were living in huts outside an Army enclave in the Dilkusha area. Owing to heavy overnight rains, the boundary wall of the Army enclave collapsed,” Joint Commissioner of Police Mordia told PTI.

    “We reached the spot around 3 am. Nine bodies were pulled out from the debris. One person was rescued alive,” he said.

  • BJP MLA dies of heart attack while on his way to Lucknow

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Lakhimpur Kheri’s Gola Gokarannath Assembly constituency, Arvind Giri 65, died after he suffered a massive heart attack in his car while on his way from his constituency to the state capital Lucknow on Monday night.

    The MLA, 65, died near Sidhauli township in Sitapur district while on his way to Lucknow. A five-term MLA, Giri had been a party hopper. He remained Samajwadi MLA for three terms, and a BJP MLA for two terms. In between, he joined Congress as well but for a very short time and left it after losing the 2012 Assembly election on its ticket.

    In fact, Giri started his political career as a student leader in 1993 and joined the Samajwadi party in 1994. After being elected Gola Municipality Chief in 1995, Giri became MLA for the first time in 1996 on a Samajwadi party ticket. Between 1998-99, he also served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

    In 2000, Giri was elected as the Chief of Gola municipality. He was later elected as MLA in 2002 and 2007 from the Haiderabad seat, which was later renamed Gola Gokarannath after delimitation, on a Samajwadi party ticket.

    In 2005, during the Samajwadi party’s government’s rule in the state, Giri was elected as the District Panchayat President. In 2012, he contested the state assembly election on a Congress ticket but lost. Later, he joined the BJP and won the election in 2017 and 2022 on the saffron party’s ticket.

    ALSO READ | Video of another namaz incident on Lulu Mall premises in Lucknow goes viral

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary expressed grief and extended condolences on the sudden demise of their party legislator.

    “The demise of BJP MLA Shri Arvind Giri Ji from Gola assembly constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri district is extremely sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. May Lord Shri Ram grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this unfathomable loss. On Shanti,” Chief Minister tweeted. Samajwadi Party Chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over Giri’s death.

    LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Lakhimpur Kheri’s Gola Gokarannath Assembly constituency, Arvind Giri 65, died after he suffered a massive heart attack in his car while on his way from his constituency to the state capital Lucknow on Monday night.

    The MLA, 65, died near Sidhauli township in Sitapur district while on his way to Lucknow. A five-term MLA, Giri had been a party hopper. He remained Samajwadi MLA for three terms, and a BJP MLA for two terms. In between, he joined Congress as well but for a very short time and left it after losing the 2012 Assembly election on its ticket.

    In fact, Giri started his political career as a student leader in 1993 and joined the Samajwadi party in 1994. After being elected Gola Municipality Chief in 1995, Giri became MLA for the first time in 1996 on a Samajwadi party ticket. Between 1998-99, he also served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

    In 2000, Giri was elected as the Chief of Gola municipality. He was later elected as MLA in 2002 and 2007 from the Haiderabad seat, which was later renamed Gola Gokarannath after delimitation, on a Samajwadi party ticket.

    In 2005, during the Samajwadi party’s government’s rule in the state, Giri was elected as the District Panchayat President. In 2012, he contested the state assembly election on a Congress ticket but lost. Later, he joined the BJP and won the election in 2017 and 2022 on the saffron party’s ticket.

    ALSO READ | Video of another namaz incident on Lulu Mall premises in Lucknow goes viral

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary expressed grief and extended condolences on the sudden demise of their party legislator.

    “The demise of BJP MLA Shri Arvind Giri Ji from Gola assembly constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri district is extremely sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. May Lord Shri Ram grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this unfathomable loss. On Shanti,” Chief Minister tweeted. Samajwadi Party Chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over Giri’s death.

  • Lucknow hotel blaze: Three people including manager sent to jail

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  Speeding up the action in the Levana Suites inferno case, the Lucknow police arrested two of the owners – Rahul Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal—along with the hotel manager Sagar Srivastava producing them in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here on Tuesday.

    On Monday morning, at least, four hotel persons including two women, all Lucknow residents were killed and 11 others were injured in the fire that originated from the banquet hall of the hotel situated in posh Hazratganj.

    The court sent all three on 14-day judicial remand to jail. An FIR was lodged against Rohit and Rahul Agarwal along with their father Pawan Agarwal and hotel Manager Sagar Srivastava under IPC Sections 304 (for causing death due to negligent act) and 308 (for risking people’s lives with their act) on late Monday night, said police sources.

    While interacting with the media persons, joint commissioner of police (law and order) Piyush Mordiya confirmed four deaths and stated that the two hotel owners and general manager were initially detained and questioned about the lapses that led to the fire incident. Later they were arrested.

    Firefighters and the State Disaster Response Team (SDRF) members carried out rescue operations and several people staying in the hotel were rescued. To query about the two persons still missing, the JCP said in all likelihood, the duo would have escaped from the rear side exit of the hotel as there arevery thin chances of anybody being left behind in the hotel.

    ALSO READ | Four dead, many injured as major fire breaks out in Lucknow hotel

    The police were trying to track their locations through electronic surveillance, he added.

    Earlier, the press note from DM’s office stated that two persons – Naina Tewari (staying in room number 314) and Ujjwal Mishra (in room number 208) – were reported missing after the incident.

    Meanwhile, the inquiry team comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Dr Roshan Jacob and Lucknow Police Commissioner SB Shiradhkar visited the site on Tuesday with other officials concerned to ascertain the reasons for the fire which claimed four lives. The probe team is likely to submit its report to CM Yogi Adityanath by Tuesday night.

    However, with the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA)being asked by the district administration to seal and demolish the hotel building as per the rules, the police commissioner pointed finger at the short circuit as the prima facie reason for the mishap. On the other, Dr Roshan Jacob had indicated the ‘suspicious’ role of the officials of LDA who passed the map for the building and helpedprocuring various NOCs.

    As per the highly placed LDA sources, the hotel Levana Suites, which was supposed to be a residential apartment, was turned into a hotel in blatant violation of norms. Even more, last month, the LDA issued a notice seeking a reply from the owners as to why the building should not be demolished.

    The hotel started operations after receiving a power connection from Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (Lesa) in October 2017.

    The sources claimed that the area where the hotel is situated, was used for residential purposes, and the owners of the structure had violated norms by building a hotel. Later, they filed an affidavit and sought six months to convert the structure into a residential apartment, which they never did, and continuedcommercial operations.

    According to a statement issued by Lucknow divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob, the owner of the structure failed to present the LDA’s approved map for the hotel. “On May 7, 2022, the structure owners were served notice following which they submitted a no-objection certificate from the fire department on May 12.

    The NOC was valid till 2024 but prima facie it was found that the structure had no fire exit system and was given NOC on iron grill stairs installed at hotel’s façade,” the statement said.

    “The zonal officer served another notice on May 26, 2022, to present the LDA’s approved map for the hotel. No response was received till August 18,” it added.

    LDA zonal officer, Arvind Tripathi, said: “On August 18, another notice was served on the owners under section 27 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as to why not the structure built on 6,400 sq feet should be demolished.”

    “The owner did not respond to the notice till August 29. The order to seal the structure was issued today (September 5),” said the copy of the order issued by LDA. On Monday evening, LDA officials conducted a survey of the building and sealed it.

    “Following due legal process, the structure will now be demolished,” the divisional commissioner’s statement said. The divisional commissioner also clarified that the LDA officials involved inletting the hotel operate without approval would be identified and disciplinary action would be taken.

    LUCKNOW:  Speeding up the action in the Levana Suites inferno case, the Lucknow police arrested two of the owners – Rahul Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal—along with the hotel manager Sagar Srivastava producing them in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here on Tuesday.

    On Monday morning, at least, four hotel persons including two women, all Lucknow residents were killed and 11 others were injured in the fire that originated from the banquet hall of the hotel situated in posh Hazratganj.

    The court sent all three on 14-day judicial remand to jail. An FIR was lodged against Rohit and Rahul Agarwal along with their father Pawan Agarwal and hotel Manager Sagar Srivastava under IPC Sections 304 (for causing death due to negligent act) and 308 (for risking people’s lives with their act) on late Monday night, said police sources.

    While interacting with the media persons, joint commissioner of police (law and order) Piyush Mordiya confirmed four deaths and stated that the two hotel owners and general manager were initially detained and questioned about the lapses that led to the fire incident. Later they were arrested.

    Firefighters and the State Disaster Response Team (SDRF) members carried out rescue operations and several people staying in the hotel were rescued. To query about the two persons still missing, the JCP said in all likelihood, the duo would have escaped from the rear side exit of the hotel as there are
    very thin chances of anybody being left behind in the hotel.

    ALSO READ | Four dead, many injured as major fire breaks out in Lucknow hotel

    The police were trying to track their locations through electronic surveillance, he added.

    Earlier, the press note from DM’s office stated that two persons – Naina Tewari (staying in room number 314) and Ujjwal Mishra (in room number 208) – were reported missing after the incident.

    Meanwhile, the inquiry team comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Dr Roshan Jacob and Lucknow Police Commissioner SB Shiradhkar visited the site on Tuesday with other officials concerned to ascertain the reasons for the fire which claimed four lives. The probe team is likely to submit its report to CM Yogi Adityanath by Tuesday night.

    However, with the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA)being asked by the district administration to seal and demolish the hotel building as per the rules, the police commissioner pointed finger at the short circuit as the prima facie reason for the mishap. On the other, Dr Roshan Jacob had indicated the ‘suspicious’ role of the officials of LDA who passed the map for the building and helped
    procuring various NOCs.

    As per the highly placed LDA sources, the hotel Levana Suites, which was supposed to be a residential apartment, was turned into a hotel in blatant violation of norms. Even more, last month, the LDA issued a notice seeking a reply from the owners as to why the building should not be demolished.

    The hotel started operations after receiving a power connection from Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (Lesa) in October 2017.

    The sources claimed that the area where the hotel is situated, was used for residential purposes, and the owners of the structure had violated norms by building a hotel. Later, they filed an affidavit and sought six months to convert the structure into a residential apartment, which they never did, and continued
    commercial operations.

    According to a statement issued by Lucknow divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob, the owner of the structure failed to present the LDA’s approved map for the hotel. “On May 7, 2022, the structure owners were served notice following which they submitted a no-objection certificate from the fire department on May 12.

    The NOC was valid till 2024 but prima facie it was found that the structure had no fire exit system and was given NOC on iron grill stairs installed at hotel’s façade,” the statement said.

    “The zonal officer served another notice on May 26, 2022, to present the LDA’s approved map for the hotel. No response was received till August 18,” it added.

    LDA zonal officer, Arvind Tripathi, said: “On August 18, another notice was served on the owners under section 27 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, as to why not the structure built on 6,400 sq feet should be demolished.”

    “The owner did not respond to the notice till August 29. The order to seal the structure was issued today (September 5),” said the copy of the order issued by LDA. On Monday evening, LDA officials conducted a survey of the building and sealed it.

    “Following due legal process, the structure will now be demolished,” the divisional commissioner’s statement said. The divisional commissioner also clarified that the LDA officials involved in
    letting the hotel operate without approval would be identified and disciplinary action would be taken.

  • UP proposes to develop ‘State Capital Region’ on lines of NCR amid increasing population pressure

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has made a proposal to develop a ‘State Capital Region’ (SCR) afloat on the lines of ‘National Capital Region’. The proposed SCR will be inclusive of seven districts including the state capital Lucknow and adjoining Kanpur covering a total area of 28,000 square kilometres.

    While issuing the directives to officials concerned over the proposal, CM Yogi Adityanath named it Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region (UPSCR). The CM stressed the need to develop UPSCR to ensure the planned development of some of the cities in the wake of increasing population pressure.

    In a meeting with senior officials of the housing and urban planning department, Awas Vikas Parishad and all urban development authorities late on Friday night, the CM said that UPSRC should include districts like Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat along with Lucknow.

    Seeking a detailed action plan to implement towards the development of UPSRC, CM Yogi said that since Lucknow was equipped with state-of-the-art urban and metropolitan facilities, people from different cities want to come here and make it their permanent abode.

    ALSO READ | Bhartaul in Bareilly district becomes first village in UP to have RO water in every household

    “The population is increasing in neighbouring districts as well and there are complaints of unplanned development which should be corrected as soon as possible,” said the CM.

    The CM also asked the concerned officials to start the development of the Lucknow Green Corridor at the earliest. To add to the development of the state capital Lucknow, the CM said that a proposal for the development of the next phase of the Lucknow Metro should be prepared and presented to him within a week as the users of the Lucknow Metro were increasing.

    Till 2019, about 72,000 passengers were using the metro daily. Proposed to establish a well-equipped convention centre in Lucknow to host major international events as, the CM said, the city of nawabs had its own significance in the scheme of things by virtue of being the state capital.

    ALSO READ | UP BJP Muslim leader faces fatwa for installing Ganesh idol at her house  

    “A proposal for a  project in an area of at least 35 acres should be prepared for the purpose,” he added.

    The CM sought a development plan for 13 major cities of the state including Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut, Agra, Chitrakoot, Varanasi and Prayagraj under the Leeds-2021 policy.

    Total proposed area of UPSCR
    28,000 sq. km.
    Total districts to be part of UPSCR
    7 (Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki)
    Lucknow
    Area: 2528 sq km; population: 45,89,838
    Kanpur Nagar
    Area: 3155 sq km; population: 45,81,268
    Kanpur Dehat
    Area: 3021 sq km; population: 17,96,184
    Unnao
    Area: 4558 sq km; population: 31,08,367
    Sitapur
    Area: 5743 sq, km;population: 44,83,992
    Rae Bareli
    Area: 4609 sq km; population: 34,05,559
    Barabanki
    Area: 4402 sq km; population: 32,60,699
    Focusing on Ayodhya, given its importance due to the construction of the Ram Temple, the CM said that it should be developed as a solar city which will give the world the message of energy conservation. “Work on murals at historical places, Ram Katha gallery, open-air theatre etc should be completed in time and cultural mapping of the Ramayana tradition should be carried out. Ramayana galleries should also be constructed along the Ram Van Gaman Path,” he said.

    “The government will provide all urban facilities to Ayodhya while preserving its ancient culture,” CM Yogi added. Giving a further boost to spiritual and religious tourism, the CM directed the officials to complete the ropeway project for the darshan of Radha Rani in Barsana by December this year. Defining the role of development authorities in achieving the goal of making UP a USD 1 trillion economy, CM Yogi said planning for the next 50 years should be taken into account while scheduling development projects.

    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has made a proposal to develop a ‘State Capital Region’ (SCR) afloat on the lines of ‘National Capital Region’. The proposed SCR will be inclusive of seven districts including the state capital Lucknow and adjoining Kanpur covering a total area of 28,000 square kilometres.

    While issuing the directives to officials concerned over the proposal, CM Yogi Adityanath named it Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region (UPSCR). The CM stressed the need to develop UPSCR to ensure the planned development of some of the cities in the wake of increasing population pressure.

    In a meeting with senior officials of the housing and urban planning department, Awas Vikas Parishad and all urban development authorities late on Friday night, the CM said that UPSRC should include districts like Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat along with Lucknow.

    Seeking a detailed action plan to implement towards the development of UPSRC, CM Yogi said that since Lucknow was equipped with state-of-the-art urban and metropolitan facilities, people from different cities want to come here and make it their permanent abode.

    ALSO READ | Bhartaul in Bareilly district becomes first village in UP to have RO water in every household

    “The population is increasing in neighbouring districts as well and there are complaints of unplanned development which should be corrected as soon as possible,” said the CM.

    The CM also asked the concerned officials to start the development of the Lucknow Green Corridor at the earliest. To add to the development of the state capital Lucknow, the CM said that a proposal for the development of the next phase of the Lucknow Metro should be prepared and presented to him within a week as the users of the Lucknow Metro were increasing.

    Till 2019, about 72,000 passengers were using the metro daily. Proposed to establish a well-equipped convention centre in Lucknow to host major international events as, the CM said, the city of nawabs had its own significance in the scheme of things by virtue of being the state capital.

    ALSO READ | UP BJP Muslim leader faces fatwa for installing Ganesh idol at her house  

    “A proposal for a  project in an area of at least 35 acres should be prepared for the purpose,” he added.

    The CM sought a development plan for 13 major cities of the state including Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut, Agra, Chitrakoot, Varanasi and Prayagraj under the Leeds-2021 policy.

    Total proposed area of UPSCR
    28,000 sq. km.
    Total districts to be part of UPSCR
    7 (Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki)
    Lucknow
    Area: 2528 sq km; population: 45,89,838
    Kanpur Nagar
    Area: 3155 sq km; population: 45,81,268
    Kanpur Dehat
    Area: 3021 sq km; population: 17,96,184
    Unnao
    Area: 4558 sq km; population: 31,08,367
    Sitapur
    Area: 5743 sq, km;population: 44,83,992
    Rae Bareli
    Area: 4609 sq km; population: 34,05,559
    Barabanki
    Area: 4402 sq km; population: 32,60,699
    Focusing on Ayodhya, given its importance due to the construction of the Ram Temple, the CM said that it should be developed as a solar city which will give the world the message of energy conservation. “Work on murals at historical places, Ram Katha gallery, open-air theatre etc should be completed in time and cultural mapping of the Ramayana tradition should be carried out. Ramayana galleries should also be constructed along the Ram Van Gaman Path,” he said.

    “The government will provide all urban facilities to Ayodhya while preserving its ancient culture,” CM Yogi added. Giving a further boost to spiritual and religious tourism, the CM directed the officials to complete the ropeway project for the darshan of Radha Rani in Barsana by December this year. Defining the role of development authorities in achieving the goal of making UP a USD 1 trillion economy, CM Yogi said planning for the next 50 years should be taken into account while scheduling development projects.

  • Congress to organize ‘Nav Sankalp Shivir’ in Lucknow on June 1,2

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The state unit of Congress party is set to organize a ‘Nav Sankalp Shivir’ in Lucknow on June 1 and 2. This will be the first such event after UP Assembly elections where the party intends to thrash out a strategy for its revival in the state. AICC general secretary, and UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also expected to take part in the event.

    Notably, the Congress party stands decimated with just two MLAs in Assembly, after recently concluded elections in the state which the party ruled till 1989. As per the highly-placed sources in state Congress party, the Shivir will be attended by the state office bearers, district and city chiefs, former parliamentarians and MLAs, the candidates who were fielded by the party in 2019 general elections and 2022 Assembly elections, state chiefs of frontal organizations, chairpersons of various cells of the party and also the spokesmen.

    If Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, attends the camp, it will be her visit to UP after the Assembly elections which concluded in March.

    In fact, Congress is becoming a non-entity in the state gradually with dismal presence in both the assembly and council. While in Vidhan Parishad, it has only one members – Deepak Singh—who would complete his term in July this year. After this, there is no possibility of any Congress representative reaching the council in near future as the party does not have requisite number in Assembly. Even its vote share has been dwindling since 2012 assembly elections from over 15 per cent then to 2.33 per cent now which is lowest in the political history of the party in UP.

    As per the party sources, to ascertain the reasons for party’s decimation in UP, Priyanka has already analyzed the situation in Delhi. “Now, she would follow it up with the party workers in Lucknow on June 1 and 2,” said a senior Congress leader.

    According to the sources,  the party leadership is contemplating to make major changes in the team which was constituted between the last general election and 2022 assembly polls. In all the committees, the old and new leaders are likely to get a place in a ratio of 65:35.  Similarly, the office-bearers falling in the age group of 40-55 years would be entrusted with bigger responsibilities.

    Party general secretary in UP, Dinesh Kumar Singh is believed to have sent correspondence to all those office bearers who would be invited to the Shivir. The party sources claimed that it was decided to keep all those leaders, who used to remain around Priyanka during her Lucknow visits, away from the camp as they had flaunted their stature annoying many senior leaders of the party in state.

  • Suspected technical snag forces Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight to return to Nagpur

    By PTI

    NAGPUR: A Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight on Monday returned safely to the Nagpur airport from where it had taken off for its destination following a suspected technical snag, the private airline said.

    An IndiGo statement here said its flight 6E-7074, operating from Nagpur to Lucknow, “returned to origin after take-off following a suspected momentary technical snag.”

    The pilots followed the standard operating procedures and returned safely to the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport here, it said.

    “All passengers are safe and the aircraft is under further inspection,” the airline said.

    The statement did not provide further details.