LUCKNOW: Mayor of Lucknow Sushma Kharkwal spearheaded a major on-ground operation targeting large-scale illegal settlements suspected to be housing undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Rohingya communities from Myanmar.
The robust action conducted in Phool Bagh colony near the Gudamba police station and later in adjoining slum clusters marks one of the strongest pushes yet by the municipal administration to confront alleged encroachments and enforce identity verification in the state capital.
According to Mayor Kharkwal, the scale of the issue had reached a point where “the entire population here is Bangladeshi,” adding that “the men had fled the area, leaving only women behind” as the civic team arrived fueling suspicion that the settlement was operating outside legal frameworks.
🚨 Lucknow Mayor: “The entire population here is Bangladeshi.”
“The men have fled, and only the women remain.”
“Aadhaar checks ORDERED, stalls told to be REMOVED, and residents given 15 days to VACATE.”pic.twitter.com/3KNZ3CHj5u
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) December 5, 2025
While the Lucknow Police have been carrying out regular verification campaigns in slum areas, the operation was triggered by new intelligence inputs and growing concerns about uncontrolled encroachments, illegal electricity connections, and the possibility of organised sheltering of undocumented foreigners.
The disputed settlement in Phool Bagh comprising about 70 families was reportedly established on private land allegedly occupied illegally for years. According to municipal sources, local corporator Pankaj Yadav had facilitated unauthorised settling on the site without any legal sanction.
Mayor Kharkwal insisted that her team followed due procedure, checking for Aadhaar cards, NRC documents, voter IDs, and police verifications.
“Officials asked for documents in full public view, and the entire process is recorded,” she said. “Those who claimed to be Indian citizens failed to produce any valid identity proof.”
She added that many slum residents could not even identify their local MLA or village Pradhan answers that any long-term local resident should reasonably know adding further to official suspicion.
A significant portion of this action focused on dismantling what officials described as illegal, unlicensed occupational structures. The LMC seized around 50 handcarts, allegedly used for unauthorised garbage collection, resale of waste, and informal economic activity with no taxation or municipal oversight.
Zonal Sanitary Officer Ajeet Rai, present with the team, confirmed that the carts were operating without permission and in violation of standard rules.
Mayor Kharkwal also directed the electricity department to immediately disconnect illegal power lines that had been tapped into the settlement, calling it a safety hazard and a misuse of public resources.
Several residents claimed that they hailed from Assam’s Barpeta district and accused the municipal team of harassment. Some displayed NRC papers and police verification documents. However, these claims could not be independently verified on the spot.
DCP East Shashank Singh confirmed that individuals who could not immediately furnish valid documents at the site were directed to present them later at the nearest police station.
“Records must match. Claiming to be from Assam is not enough. Verification is a formal process,” he emphasised.
During the operation, one of the landowners reportedly informed Mayor Kharkwal that the property was under dispute, and that the residents were occupying it illegally. The mayor reiterated that many Aadhaar cards presented during checks listed the disputed land itself as the address raising broader questions of document fabrication and procedural misuse.
“No one has the right to grab disputed land or live without authorisation,” the mayor stated. She has given residents 15 days to vacate the premises, in adherence with eviction norms.
