Chandigarh: Fish market auction a flop show again

In a major setback to the MC - despite slashing the reserve price by 30% - the civic body, once again, has failed to attract any buyer for total 20 booths put for auction of the modern air-conditioned fish, meat, and poultry products market in Sector 41.

In a major setback to the MC - despite slashing the reserve price by 30% - the civic body, once again, has failed to attract any buyer for total 20 booths put for auction of the modern air-conditioned fish, meat, and poultry products market in Sector 41.

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The auction process was held outside the MC office in Sector 17. This is the fourth time the auction has failed — the last one was held in January— since the competition of the construction of the market in 2009. On Thursday, seven persons participated in the auction but no one came forward to buy any of these 20 booths of the total 32 put for auction.

The minimum monthly reserved licence fee for 12 booths measuring 21.21 square metres each was Rs 21,500 per booth, while it
was Rs 19,500 per booth for six booths measuring 19.02 square metres each. For the two wholesale booths measuring 39.51 square metres each, the reserved monthly licence fee was Rs 39,600 per booth. Surender Kumar, a bidder, said, “We are not interested in buying shops on such high price, considering the fact the market has not even established yet. Moreover, the MC has also prohibited slaughter in these shops being given for threeyear lease period. By the time it is established, we will have to look for some other place.”