LUCKNOW:, Feb. 13 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed the state government and the housing department to conduct a detailed survey of illegal buildings across the state capital, including Clay Square. The court ordered a comprehensive report of the survey within 10 days, setting February 24 as the deadline.

A division bench of Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi issued the directive after finding the state's response unsatisfactory in a case concerning illegal buildings. The court was hearing a 2012 public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Lt. Col. Ashok Kumar (retd) and other connected petitions.

The court criticised profit-driven builders and officials for failing to perform t...