The auction of plots in the newly developed Sector 56 Bulk Market will commence in the first week of April, aimed at relocating the long-pending marble market from Dhanas. Any trader will be eligible to participate in the auction. In addition to marble traders, furniture dealers displaced from Sector 54 will be eligible to bid for plots and booths in the new market.
Spread over 44 acres, the Bulk Market is being developed at a cost of ₹20 crore. The project features 191 one-kanal plots and 48 booth sites. Allottees will be allowed to construct a basement and three floors on the one-kanal sites.
UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner of Chandigarh, Nishant Kumar Yadav, said: “We will begin the auction in the first week of April, and hopefully, within the next couple of months, the marble market will be shifted from Dhanas. Environmental clearance for the project is expected by the first week of February.”
Once the auction is completed, the administration will initiate the shifting of the marble market, which has been operating in Dhanas for several decades. The relocation process is scheduled to begin in May. The marble market will be moved to the Sector 56 Bulk Market, where a combined marble and furniture hub is now planned. Initially limited to shifting only the marble market, the plan has been expanded to accommodate furniture traders from Sector 54 as well.
According to the administration, projects spread over more than 20,000 square yards require mandatory clearance from the environment ministry. In preparation for the project, 332 trees falling within the project alignment have been removed following necessary approvals. The existing marble market in Dhanas occupies nearly 200 acres of agriculturally viable land, which will be vacated upon completion of the relocation. The delay in shifting the Dhanas marble market was primarily due to the lack of environmental clearance.
{{/usCountry}}According to the administration, projects spread over more than 20,000 square yards require mandatory clearance from the environment ministry. In preparation for the project, 332 trees falling within the project alignment have been removed following necessary approvals. The existing marble market in Dhanas occupies nearly 200 acres of agriculturally viable land, which will be vacated upon completion of the relocation. The delay in shifting the Dhanas marble market was primarily due to the lack of environmental clearance.
{{/usCountry}}The market has been occupied by traders for over 30 years, despite the Punjab and Haryana high court declaring such temporary markets illegal and ordering their removal. It may be recalled that last year, the estate department vacated the furniture market in Sector 53, freeing land valued at approximately ₹1,500 crore.
Plots to be auctioned on leasehold basis
The administration has decided to auction 200 one-kanal plots and 52 booths in the Bulk Market strictly on a leasehold basis, which will not be converted into freehold properties. The reserve price has been fixed at the prevailing collector rate of ₹3 lakh per square yard. A floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.5 has been approved, though the estate department is exploring the possibility of increasing it. Allottees will be permitted to construct a ground, first, and second floor, based on business requirements and in compliance with Chandigarh administration’s building rules and bylaws. However, traders have been demanding freehold plots and booths instead of leasehold allotments.
Surveys conducted by the administration in 2016 and 2018 at the existing marble markets in Dhanas and Sarangpur recorded 188 marble shops. Although the high court had ordered the removal of these illegal markets, environmental clearance requirements caused delays. The new market plan includes developing adequate parking and essential facilities for shop owners and customers.