Lucknow: The Lucknow Development Authority on Thursday sealed the Hussainabad food court after detecting financial irregularities during an inspection by vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar. The action was taken after the private agency operating the food court failed to deposit the stipulated lease amount.The food court, built by the LDA at a cost of Rs10 crore, has six shops on the ground floor and two large restaurants on the first floor. It was leased to a company for operation and maintenance in Dec 2024.
After its launch in early 2025, the Hussainabad food court quickly became a popular hangout point for locals and tourists alike, drawing significant footfall due to its location near the heritage corridor and the iconic Clock Tower.The facility brought together a variety of local and regional food outlets offering Lucknow favourites like biryani, shawarma, kebabs and other street food-style dishes, along with café-style snacks, making it a go-to destination for family outings and food lovers.Several well-known food brands and local eateries also operated there, contributing to its reputation as a lively culinary spot in the city.LDA officials said the agency was required to deposit around Rs75 lakh annually as per the lease conditions. However, against total dues of Rs 1.15 crore, the agency deposited only Rs 22.5 lakh, leaving outstanding dues of nearly Rs 93 lakh.Following this, a notice was issued to the agency and the building sealed until the dues are cleared. Due to the sealing, all shops and commercial activities inside the food court stopped completely.Meanwhile, LDA officials said the under-construction Hussainabad museum will be opened to the public from Feb 22. Kumar also reviewed the remodelling work at Daliganj crossing, where progress was found to be slow, causing inconvenience to the public. The contractor was issued a notice and instructed to complete the work within one month, failing which a penalty will be imposed.
