The Uttar Pradesh government has constructed residential flats for the general public on land previously occupied by gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The land, located in the upscale Dalibagh area of Lucknow, was reclaimed by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) from Ansari’s illegal possession.
A total of 72 flats have been constructed on the reclaimed land. These four-storey buildings feature flats that are 360 square feet each and include two rooms, a bathroom, a pantry and a balcony. The price of each flat ranges between Rs 9 lakh to Rs 9.5 lakh and they will be allocated through a lottery system after a formal application process. The LDA is expected to release an advertisement for applications by the end of this month.
The flats will be allotted only to economically weaker individuals, specifically those whose annual income is less than Rs 3 lakh.
UP govt’s crackdown on properties illegally occupied by gangsters
According to official sources, Mukhtar Ansari’s gang had 292 members, and the police have either demolished or taken possession of over Rs 600 crore worth of properties linked to them. This particular plot in Dalibagh was among those seized and repurposed for public welfare.
Speaking on the initiative, Uttar Pradesh’s Backward Class Welfare Minister Narendra Kashyap said that converting mafia-occupied land into housing for the poor sends a strong and positive message. He said since coming to power in 2017, the Yogi government has reportedly seized or bulldozed properties worth around Rs 3,000 crore belonging to mafia groups across the state.
Mukhtar Ansari’s death and his family’s ‘poisoning’ allegations
Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh, died of cardiac arrest on March 28, 2024 while he was lodged in Banda Jail. His family, however, alleged Ansari was given a "poisonous substance" in jail.
Amid protests by his family members and followers, the UP government ordered a magisterial probe into his death. The inquiry report concluded that Ansari had indeed died by heart attack, ruling out the possibility of foul play. The report, corroborating the findings of the post-mortem report, has been submitted to the state administration.
