Lucknow – The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is undertaking the preservation of its 163-year-old Nazul land maps, which were deteriorating due to dust, moisture, and termite infestation. These historical records dating back to 1862 are now being protected through chemical treatment and other scientific measures.
LDA Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar conducted a surprise inspection of various offices in the new building on Saturday. During the inspection, he directed officials to expedite the work of preserving the old maps as well as the scanning and digitization of files.
The preservation work for the old maps is being carried out in the Rudraksh Auditorium, located on the 11th floor of the authority’s new building. The inspecting team observed that experts from the Intach Conservation Institute, the agency responsible for the work, are photographing the maps and treating them chemically for their long-term conservation.
Representatives from the institute informed the Vice Chairman that a total of 203 Nazul land maps have been provided for conservation in the first phase. Out of these, 102 maps have been successfully preserved through the treatment process, while work is ongoing on the remaining maps. Similarly, the scanning and digitization of files are also progressing steadily.
During his visit, the Vice Chairman inspected each floor of the new building, observing the offices of officers, engineers, and employees. It was noted that employees of one section were seated in different locations, hindering departmental work. Furthermore, despite ample space and a large number of office rooms, proper seating arrangements for officers and employees were lacking due to inadequate planning.
Taking cognizance of this, the Vice Chairman instructed that henceforth, the entire team of the Map and Planning Section will be accommodated on the third floor of the new building. Additionally, the engineering team will be shifted to the fourth and fifth floors. The Vice Chairman also designated floors and rooms for officers and employees of other sections. He directed that all necessary steps for the shifting be taken and the new arrangements be implemented as soon as possible.
Secretary Vivek Srivastava, Additional Secretaries Gyanendra Verma and C.P. Tripathi, Joint Secretary Sushil Pratap Singh, Chief Town Planner K.K. Gautam, and In-charge Chief Engineer Navneet Sharma, along with other officers and engineers, were present during the inspection.
73 Files Resolved at ‘Single Table Clearance Day’
In a related development, the LDA organized a ‘Single Table Clearance Day’ at the Parijat Auditorium on Saturday. During this initiative, pending files from all sections were resolved at a single desk in the presence of concerned officers and employees.
LDA Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar personally reviewed the pending cases, taking immediate decisions and ensuring necessary actions were completed. Secretary Vivek Srivastava stated that a total of 73 files related to registry, mutation, refund, freehold, and engineering were resolved during the exercise, which lasted from 10 am to 4 pm.
