Lucknow: In a breather to the Railways, the Allahabad High Court on Monday ordered status quo regarding possession of land allotted to the Centre by the Mayawati government to set up a rail coach factory in Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli and later cancelled by the state government.

"Both parties shall maintain status quo over the land in question regarding possession," Justices Pradeep Kant and Subeeh-ul-Hasnain of the court's Lucknow Bench observed while hearing a petition filed by the Centre challenging the UP government's decision to cancel the land allotment.

UP govt withdraws land for rail coach factory

The court directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit in a week's time.

The petition was moved by the Union of India through secretary, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways and two others.

The petitioners had challenged the UP government order issued on Sunday cancelling the land allotment on the basis of an October 10 report of the Rae Bareli district magistrate apprehending law and order problems in case the possession of land was handed over to the Centre.

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