UP Cabinet clears convention centre, heritage conservation in Lucknow

Roshan-ud-Daula building and Chhatar Manzil to be developed for tourism; nod to construction of a flyover at Dubagga crossing in Uttar Pradesh capital

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to construct a 1,811.72 metre-long, three-lane flyover at the Dubagga intersection on the Lucknow-Hardoi route to ease traffic congestion. The estimated cost of the project is ₹305.31 crore. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the Lok Bhawan.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. (Sourced)

Given that the Dubagga intersection serves as a major traffic hub within Lucknow city, the upcoming flyover is likely to provide substantial relief from traffic snarls in the area. The government firmly believes that all these projects will play a crucial role in transforming Lucknow into a modern, well-organised and tourism-friendly city.

Several significant projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure, heritage conservation and traffic management in the state capital, Lucknow, were approved during the meeting. They included approval for the revised cost estimate for constructing the proposed international exhibition-cum-convention centre in Sector-15 of the Vrindavan Yojana area in Lucknow. This state-of-the-art convention centre will feature a spacious convention hall with a seating capacity of 10,000 people, as well as an auditorium capable of accommodating 2,500 people.

Extensive parking facilities and crowd management systems will also be established at the venue. The centre is being constructed to serve as a venue for world-class events such as defence expos.

There are also plans to develop 5-star and budget hotels near the convention centre to ensure superior accommodation facilities for visitors arriving from both within the country and abroad. The project is poised to play a pivotal role in establishing Lucknow as a premier international venue for major events.

The Cabinet had previously approved an initial cost of ₹1,297.42 crore for the construction of the centre. However, due to higher-than-anticipated costs emerging during the tender process, the estimate was revised and ₹1,435.25 crore has now been approved.

The state government has taken significant steps to promote the conservation and adaptive reuse of Lucknow’s historical heritage sites. The Cabinet approved the development of the Roshan-ud-Daula building and Chhatar Manzil under an ‘Adaptive Reuse’ framework, utilising a public-private partnership model.

To facilitate this, a proposal has been put forward to transfer the ownership of the land associated with these buildings to the tourism department free of cost. The objective is to revitalise the state’s tourism sector by developing these historical structures into heritage tourism units. However, the government clarified that this land transfer is an exceptional measure and shall not be cited as a precedent for future instances.