LUCKNOW: After a stay by the Allahabad High Court in response to a PIL against the construction of a heritage hotel in Lucknow's VVIP zone, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has reportedly shelved his plan and gone for restoration of a bungalow on the plot at 1-A Vikramaditya Marg.
The former UP chief minister had planned the hotel on the plot owned by him and his wife Dimple. He had submitted documents to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) for getting the map of the proposed hotel, 'Hibiscus Heritage', passed and for getting the required NOCs.
In an affidavit submitted to the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench, the Yadavs gave an undertaking that they will withdraw their application from the LDA seeking permission for the construction of the heritage hotel.
The counsels for the Yadavs told the court that they had bought the land with a 1940-built bungalow from Jwala Ramnath. They assured the court that their clients would drop the plan of hotel construction and, instead, get the dilapidated bungalow restored for living purpose.
After getting an assurance from the Yadavs, a division bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Abdul Moin passed an order allowing the repair of the bungalow at 1-A Vikramaditya Marg with a rider that it would be used only for personal use and no new construction for any commercial activity would be allowed.
The high-security site happens to be in close proximity with the Samajwadi Party headquarters. Since the plot comes under a high-security zone where buildings cannot be more than seven meters, a number of NOCs from different departments were required.
In fact, the Yadavs had purchased the 23,872 sq ft plot at a cost of `39 lakh in 2005. A PIL was also filed in this regard recently raising objections to the construction of the hotel as the venue lies in high-security zone.
Earlier, while hearing a PIL, the High Court had passed an order staying construction of a heritage hotel on the land. To get the stay vacated, Akhilesh and Dimple Yadav had moved an application to withdraw their plans for constructing the hotel and had sought permission from the court to allow them to repair the bungalow for their personal use.