The Supreme Court today sought an explanation from the Mayawati government for allegedly constructing unauthorized structures at the old jail premises in Lucknow in violation of its order.

A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and A R Dave rejected the U P government's plea that it was only constructing boundary walls and public utilities.

"Photographs show many structures. It looks like a dam site. Why are you wasting so much of cement and steel if they are meant only for a boundary wall?" asked Justice Sathasivam who is heading the Bench.

The Bench made it clear that it was not convinced by the arguments of senior counsel Krishan Venugopal, appearing for the state government, that construction pertained to only public utilities.

"We are not able to accept it that it is a boundary wall, you have to explain the present position, the way in which material is dumped shows that they are constructing a huge structure. You cannot bypass our order," the Bench observed.

The apex court, while passing the observation asked the state government to file an affidavit within two weeks to explain the charge that unauthorized construction was being made over the 195 acre land of the old jail premises.

It passed the order on an application moved by an advocate, Sangam Lal Pandey, accusing Mayawati government of violating the apex court's earlier directions that there shall be no construction of monuments/structure at the place.

According to Pandey, the apex court had on September 8, 2009 and again on 6 November, 2009 by separate orders restrained the state government from constructing any monuments or memorials at the place.

The UP government has taken the stand that it was not constructing any memorial but only boundary walls/public utilities for the proposed Eco-park at the sprawling 195 acre old jail premises.