Lucknow Civic Body Seals Sahara Shaher Over Lease Norm Violation

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) on Monday sealed Sahara Shaher in Gomti Nagar over alleged violations of lease conditions.

Mayor Sushma Kharkwal said the corporation took possession of the 170-acre property as Sahara India had failed to comply with the 30-year lease agreement signed in 1994, which expired in 2024. “Sahara violated several terms of the lease, including the failure to build houses and complete assigned development works,” she said.

A detailed inquiry led by Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar found breaches in the licence and lease deed covering 130 acres for residential and commercial purposes and another 40 acres meant for a green belt. The LMC formally cancelled both agreements last month.

In response, Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd said it had invested over Rs 2,480 crore in developing the area, building 87 residential and commercial structures, and paying more than Rs 17 crore in municipal dues. The company said it held valid layout approvals and that the dispute was already under court protection since the late 1990s.

Sahara has now moved the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, seeking to restrain the civic body from taking possession of the land. The company has challenged the LMC’s orders dated September 8 and 11 that cancelled the lease and authorised forcible possession. The petition is expected to be heard this week.

(With inputs from news agencies)