On Thursday, 25th July, the Uttar Pradesh government invoked bulldozer action demolishing the illegal flower market set up in the city of Lucknow since 2001. The land on which the flower marker was being operated belonged to Hussainabad Trust who had leased the land on 100 years lease. The state in the year 2024 canceled the lease and ordered the shopkeepers to vacate the land. However, the state administration razed off the illegal structure. As per the local reports, the flower market has now been shifted to ‘Kisan Bazaar’ in the Gomati Nagar area of Lucknow.
This bulldozer action executed by the state has affected more than 100 farmers who sold their flower supply in this particular flower market. It is believed that the flower market contributed to Rs 2-3 lakhs of trade on a daily basis. During the seasons of festivals or weddings, the trade exceeded Rs 10 lac daily in this market.
लखनऊ की सबसे बड़ी फूल मंडी पर चला बुल्डोजर: प्रशासन ने नहीं मानी डिप्टी सीएम की बात; राम मंदिर के लिए फूल यहीं से गया था https://t.co/yWHuN9Jp5O pic.twitter.com/8EuyT3b6fI
— आदित्य तिवारी / Aditya Tiwari (@aditytiwarilive) July 25, 2024
The flower market earlier operated from the 2000 sq ft of land behind the Imambada area of the city. It was shifted to the Hussainabad Trust land in the year 2001. The administration is said to have issued notices to the farmers to shift their business to ‘Kisan Bazar’ but the farmers protested. With special efforts and cooperation of the district administration and police department, all types of flower trade in Chowk, Lucknow, then were transferred to Kisan Bazaar, Vibhuti Khand, Gomati Nagar, Lucknow in 2019.
The District Magistrate in 2022 issued a letter to terminate the lease of the flower market and remove the encroachments. Further, in the year 2023, the Trust issued a notice asking the farmers to vacate the land.
In the year 2024, the lease of the Hussainabad Trust was canceled and the farmers were issued notice again to vacate the land. The farmers again launched a protest. However, the state executed the bulldozer action demolishing the illegal structure in Lucknow.
The Flower Market Welfare Committee had requested Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak to save the flower market. A month ago, the Committee’s people also went to meet him. However, the administration issued notices in June 2024 to vacate the illegal market instead. “If not complied with by 2:00 PM on 26-06-2024, the flower market and other illegal encroachments will be forcibly removed, and the entire expense will be recovered from them,” the notice read.
