LUCKNOW, Aug. 18 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the principal secretary, public works department, Lucknow, along with other officials of the committee that earlier decided on an integrated plan for a flyover and metro, to join proceedings through video conferencing on September 22. The division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla passed the order on August 12 while hearing a 2017 PIL filed by the Oudh Bar Association, which raised concerns over traffic congestion in front of the new high court on Ayodhya Road. In response to the court's earlier order, the counsel for the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) informed that a comprehensive mobility plan for the city was discussed in a meeting chaired by the commissioner, Lucknow division, on July 14, 2025. It was resolved in the meeting that extending the metro from Polytechnic to Kisan Path was not feasible, and instead, a line from Indira Gandhi Pratishthan to Ekana Stadium could be considered in consultation with Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation, without affecting the security of the high court. The LDA counsel added that a plan for a flyover from Polytechnic to Kisan Path is being prepared and will be placed before the court by September 15, 2025. State counsel VP Nag submitted that if a metro line is built from Polytechnic to Kisan Path, it should be constructed simultaneously with the proposed flyover. The bench noted that Nag's statement was based on a May 2025 affidavit of the principal secretary, PWD, while the July 14 meeting took place later. The court stated that the principal secretary should be informed of the latest developments and file an affidavit after verifying the facts. "In the meantime, the proposed plan shall be presented before the court by September 15, failing which the LDA Vice Chairman will have to join the proceedings through video conferencing. The court further directed the Principal Secretary, PWD, and other committee members involved in the earlier decision on the integrated plan also to attend the next hearing through video conferencing," it said. The court directed listing the matter on September 22 for further hearing.htc...