LUCKNOW, Jan. 22 -- Bringing all commercial activity to a halt, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Thursday sealed the Hussainabad Food Court, a year after it was handed over to a private operator, after the latter failed to deposit the stipulated lease amount, officials said.

The sealing order was issued by LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar during an inspection after officials flagged serious financial irregularities. According to LDA officials, the private company operating the food court failed to comply with the financial terms of the lease agreement despite repeated reminders.

Constructed by the LDA at a cost of around Rs.10 crore, the facility comprises six shops on the ground floor and two large restaurants on the first ...