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‘Vacate monuments or face action’: Hussainabad Trust issues ultimatum to encroachers
The Hussainabad and Allied Trust in Lucknow has served eviction notices to encroachers on historic monuments, giving them 15 days to vacate or face legal consequences. The Trust has issued a total of 55 notices to families residing in six historic monuments, including the Bada Imambara and Chota Imambara. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ordered the removal of encroachments from monuments and instructed the state government and municipal corporation to submit an affidavit detailing the measures taken for removal.
LUCKNOW In the wake of a recent high court order mandating the removal of encroachments from historic monuments in Lucknow, the Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) has swiftly taken action. It has served eviction notices to encroachers, demanding they vacate the monuments within 15 days or face legal consequences.
The Trust, entrusted with the preservation of significant Nawabi monuments, including the Bada Imambara and other Waqf properties constructed by Mohammad Ali Shah for the welfare of the Muslim community, is determined to protect these historical treasures.
Habibul Hasan, assistant superintendent at HAT, said, “We have issued a total of 55 notices to families residing in six historic monuments, including Shah Najaf Imambara, Bada Imambara, Chota Imambara, and Rauza-e-Kazmain, among others, all under the jurisdiction of HAT.”
One such notice, signed by Brijesh Kumar Verma, additional city magistrate and the second officer-in-charge of the Trust, was dispatched to an occupant named Bano, residing in Rauza-e-Kazmain at Saadatganj on September 3rd. The notice stipulated that the property in question falls under the purview of a centrally-protected monument, in addition to being a religious site. It urged her to vacate the premises within 15 days.
Hasan clarified, “In accordance with the court’s order, encroachers have been granted a 15-day window to vacate the centrally-protected monuments. Failure to comply will result in the use of administrative force for eviction, with the associated expenses recovered from them in the form of land revenue.”
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court issued its order on September 19th, instructing the state government and municipal corporation to eliminate all encroachments from monuments and submit an affidavit detailing the measures taken for removal. The court also stressed the need to maintain civic conditions and safeguard these historic landmarks.
This directive stemmed from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvi, a heritage enthusiast. It was heard by the division bench of Justice Om Prakash Shukla and Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi, with the next hearing scheduled for October 16th.
