Lucknow, Jul 30 (IANS): Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob has directed the officials to remove encroachments from the protected monuments in Lucknow.

The district administration will conduct a joint survey of the encroachments with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to draw a plan to remove squatters.

The officials apprised the Jacob that in the first phase, encroachments by 50 families living in five centrally protected monuments namely Bara Imambara, Saadat Ali and Mushirzadi Tomb, Sher Darwaza or Neil’s Gate, Qaiserbagh Gate and Kaiser Pasand cemetery were removed.

They said 19 encroachments in and around the centrally protected monument Bara Imambara and six encroachments in Asafi Masjid located in Hussainabad area were yet to be removed.

The divisional commissioner instructed the concerned officials to jointly survey the heritage area and identify illegal encroachments. She instructed the concerned office bearers of the Trust to remove illegal encroachments from the heritage zone.

The commissioner said that renovation of monuments was to be given priority and will be carried out in a time-bound manner by ASI.