LUCKNOW, Aug. 27 -- The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Tuesday carried out a demolition drive at the historic Rifa-e-Aam club in Wazirganj, removing illegal encroachments and unauthorised structures. During the operation, shanties, tin sheds and unauthorised shops were pulled down in the presence of police personnel to prevent disturbance. Notices to vacate had been served to illegal shopkeepers and families on August 25, LDA said. The club, spread over 2.18 lakh sq ft, was leased for 99 years in 1886 and handed over to the LDA after the lease ended in 1985. Officials said alternative housing has been allotted to 10 families under the PM Awas Yojana in Basant Kunj. LDA additional secretary Gyanendra Kumar said the site would be redeveloped with boundary walls, roads, pathways and lighting. Facilities like marriage halls, cafes and sports infrastructure are also planned. A few months ago, divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob had inspected the site and directed immediate clearance of encroachments. Officials later found that the caretaker had occupied most rooms of the club building. The Rifa-e-Aam club, once a symbol of nationalist defiance, is remembered for Mahatma Gandhi's address on Hindu-Muslim unity in 1920 and for Hindi writer Munshi Premchand's speech at a Progressive Writers' Association meeting in 1936....