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LDA seals Hussainabad Food Court over ₹93lakh dues
The sealing order was issued by LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar during an inspection after officials flagged serious financial irregularities. According to LDA officials, the private company operating the food court failed to comply with the financial terms of the lease agreement despite repeated reminders.
Bringing all commercial activity to a halt, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Thursday sealed the Hussainabad Food Court, a year after it was handed over to a private operator, after the latter failed to deposit the stipulated lease amount, officials said.
The sealing order was issued by LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar during an inspection after officials flagged serious financial irregularities. According to LDA officials, the private company operating the food court failed to comply with the financial terms of the lease agreement despite repeated reminders.
Constructed by the LDA at a cost of around ₹10 crore, the facility comprises six shops on the ground floor and two large restaurants on the first floor. Through a request for proposal (RFP) process, the authority leased the food court to a private real estate company for operation and maintenance, with the handover completed on December 7, 2024.
As per the lease agreement, the operator was required to deposit nearly ₹75 lakh annually with the LDA. However, during Thursday’s inspection, officials found that the total payable amount had reached ₹1.15 crore, against which only ₹22.5 lakh had been deposited, leaving outstanding dues of around ₹93 lakh.
“The private operator committed financial irregularities by failing to deposit the full lease amount. A notice has been issued, and the food court will remain sealed until the pending amount is cleared,” Kumar said, adding that all shops and branded outlets inside the complex had been shut following the sealing.
During the inspection, the LDA vice-chairman also reviewed the progress of the under-construction Hussainabad Museum and directed officials and the executing agency to complete the remaining work by February 22.
Officials said the museum, expected to emerge as a major tourist attraction, would open to the public next month. It aims to showcase Lucknow’s cultural heritage and provide information on key historical and heritage sites across Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Kumar inspected the ongoing remodelling work at the Daliganj intersection and found the pace of construction unsatisfactory. Officials said the delay was causing inconvenience to commuters and local residents.
The LDA vice-chairman reprimanded the executing agency and directed it to complete the work within a month. He also instructed officials to impose penalties if the agency failed to meet the revised deadline.
“The LDA will not tolerate delays in public infrastructure projects,” Kumar said, stressing the need for timely completion to minimise public hardship.
