Chandigarh starts process to shift mandi to Sector 39

After nearly two decades of delay, process for the much-awaited shifting of the fruit, vegetable and grain market from Sector 26 to Sector 39 is set to begin on March 3. The process will finally start with the first auction of shop-cum-office (SCO) sites in Sector-39.

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For the auction, which will be conducted in phases, applicants can submit documents from March 3 to 24. It will start on March 28 and conclude by March 31.

In the first phase, 23 out of the proposed 92 SCO sites will be auctioned. The existing commission agents have demanded sites on a freehold basis.

The State Agriculture Marketing Board has recently constituted an eight-member committee to conduct the auction of shops in the first phase. The committee will hold an open auction for the public and the shops will be allotted on a leasehold basis for 99 years, instead of freehold. The reserve price for each 120-square-yard unit has been fixed at Rs 3.75 crore.

Out of a total of 92 shops, the remaining units will be put up for auction in the second phase, as per the terms and conditions of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007.

The Sector 26 mandi operates on 24 acres, whereas the new facility in Sector 39 is spread over 75 acres, and is aimed at catering to the growing demands of the Tricity.

Most of the vegetables reaching Chandigarh come from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. With the new location in Sector 39, traffic congestion on Vikas Marg and Purva Marg is expected to ease significantly, benefitting commuters. However, those travelling from Delhi and Shimla may face slightly increased travel times.

Unlike the existing Mandi in Sector 26, where farmers rely on cold storage facilities in Punjab and Haryana, the new facility will have two dedicated cold storages.

A 2-acre vending zone will be developed to address the long-standing issue of vendors occupying auction platforms, thereby improving space management and visitor convenience. Advanced technology similar to toll plazas will be installed at the entry and exit points, enabling authorities to monitor the quantity of goods being transported into the market.

A separate garbage processing plant will be established to manage daily waste more efficiently. Currently, waste from Sector-26 Mandi has to be transported to the Municipal Corporation’s processing plant.

A piece of land measuring 75 acres in Sector 39 was acquired in 1990 and the site was allotted for the new mandi in 2002. After the allotment of shops, the Sector 26 market will be denotified.