Political pressure halts Chandigarh admn’s firm plan to demolish illegal furniture market
UT administration gives in to traders’ politically backed plea to defer demolition drive until auction of shops at Sector 39’s Bulk Material Market that will take at least two months
Despite its determined decision to demolish the illegal furniture market in Sectors 53 and 54 by the end of January, political pressure has forced the Chandigarh administration to back-pedal on its plans.
Even after being served eviction orders and a deadline to vacate, furniture traders, with the backing of political leaders, managed to persuade the administration to put the demolition on hold for at least two months — until the auction of shops in the Bulk Material Market in Sector 39, where they plan to relocate.
On January 9, the UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner had issued eviction orders, directing shopkeepers to vacate the encroached land within 15 days. The order clearly stated that no alternative site for relocation would be provided. The deadline expired on January 24 and the demolition was scheduled for January 28.
But just days before the planned action, political intervention caused a dramatic shift in the administration’s firm stance.
On January 23, the traders, along with BJP leader Sanjay Tandon, met UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, requesting that the action be deferred and expressing willingness to relocate to the Sector 39 market.
In response, Kataria instructed the UT estate officer to hold a follow-up meeting with traders on January 30, postponing the demolition.
Former Union minister and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal added more pressure by urging the UT administrator to ensure the traders are not displaced without being allotted suitable alternative sites at the proposed Bulk Material Market.
Giving in, the UT administration ultimately agreed to let the traders participate in the upcoming auction for shops at the Bulk Material Market, which is not expected to take place before April, and defer the demolition drive until then.
A senior UT administration official stated, “We will allow the traders to participate in the open auction of shops at the Bulk Material Market. Currently, infrastructure is being developed at the market and we plan to conduct the auction within two months. Once the auction is completed, we will proceed with the demolition of the furniture market.”
The official further said the administration will assess the number of furniture traders applying for these sites. If only a few succeed in securing shops, they will be encouraged to participate in future auctions for commercial sites across the city.
Sanjeev Bhandari, president of the Furniture Market Association, expressed relief over the temporary reprieve. “The UT administration has assured us that an alternative site will be provided at the Bulk Material Market in Sector 39 before the demolition. We are grateful for this immediate relief,” he said.
Not the first flip-flop by UT
Established in 1985, the unauthorised furniture market, comprising 116 shops, is illegally occupying approximately 15 acres of agricultural land in Sectors 53 and 54.
Before the January notice, even on June 22, 2024, the land acquisition department had issued a notice to the shopkeepers to demolish their structures and vacate the government land within a week. Even then, the shopkeepers had submitted representations to the UT administration, following which the then deputy commissioner, Vinay Pratap Singh, had temporarily halted the demolition drive.
The June notice had reaffirmed that the land had been acquired by the Chandigarh administration in 2002 and was part of Badheri village. Despite repeated efforts by the shopkeepers to obtain a stay order from the Punjab and Haryana high court, all petitions were dismissed in September 2023, and the court had upheld the administration’s right to reclaim the land.
Tinderbox sitting on major inter-city artery
The furniture market, located on a busy artery connecting Chandigarh and Mohali, has been plagued by frequent fire incidents.
As the market is illegal, the municipal corporation has imposed no fire-safety measures. Consequently, the market has seen over a dozen fire mishaps since its inception four decades ago.
The traders operate from temporary structures, with no fire exits, inadequate ventilation and minimal spacing between shops, which store large quantities of furniture and flammable materials like thinners.
Improper vehicle parking in front of the shops remains a constant cause of traffic congestion on the busy stretch.
In the early 1990s, the UT administration had tried to remove the shops, but the traders got a stay order from the Punjab and Haryana high court in 1993 and there was no move to shift the market until June 2024 when UT issued the first eviction notice.
Shopkeepers contend that the administration has failed to shift the market despite several requests, even though the traders are paying around ₹10 crore GST every year.