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Sector 39 grain market: 23 years on, UT dministrator approves auctioning 46 shops
Following the approval, the state agriculture marketing board on Wednesday has constituted an eight-member committee to conduct the auction of these shops in the first phase, scheduled to take place within a month
After two decades of delay in relocating the Sector 26 grain market to Sector 39, the project is finally back on track as, on January 20, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has approved the auction of 46 shops for fruits and vegetables.
Following the approval, the state agriculture marketing board on Wednesday has constituted an eight-member committee to conduct the auction of these shops in the first phase, scheduled to take place within a month.
The committee includes the administrator of market committee, Chandigarh; the joint secretary of state agriculture marketing board; the assistant estate officer-I; technical director, National Informatics Centre (NIC), Chandigarh; assistant town planner, UT department of urban planning; sub-divisional engineer, state agriculture marketing board; section officer, Estate Office (auction branch); and law officer, state agriculture marketing board.
A senior official of the board stated that the committee will conduct an open auction for the public, offering a lease period of 99 years. In the first phase, 46 shops will be auctioned for fruit and vegetable vendors.
This is for the first time that the UT administration has decided to open the auction to the general public. Previously, only licence holders from the Sector-26 market were eligible to participate. The shops will now be allotted on a leasehold basis for 99 years instead of freehold. The reserve price for each 120-square yard shop has been set at ₹4 crore.
Addressing concerns about the Kajauli Waterworks pipelines passing beneath the site, the official said, “Since relocating the water pipelines is not feasible, we have decided to develop a green cover over the said area.”
The pipelines, which were laid in 1980, are a critical part of the city’s water supply network.
Market envisioned in 2002
The Sector-39 market was planned in 2002 to decongest the Sector-26 grain market, which had no room for further expansion.
For the past year, the administration has been attempting to auction 92 shops at the new grain market, but progress has been slow.
When contacted, Sector 26 Sabzi Mandi Arhtiya Association president, Brij Mohan, said, “We will oppose it as why the auction is opened for public. First they should give preference to the Sector 26 shop owners. The terms and conditions of the UT administration for auctioning shops to all on a leasehold basis are unacceptable to us. The reserve price is also too high, especially since the UT administration acquired around 78 acres in Sector 39 for ₹2 crore in 1990. For the last two decades, the administration has failed to allot the shops.”
He added that the administration should allot the sites according to the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board (Sale and Transfer of Plots) Rules, 1961.
Once the shops at the Sector-39 market are allotted, the de-notification of the Sector-26 market will occur in phases.
