MC to rent out 39 booths under Sec 17 overbridge
Sandeep Rana
Chandigarh, March 11
Having failed to find any buyers for a decade, the local Municipal Corporation, for the first time, has decided to e-auction 39 booths under an overbridge in Sector 17 on a monthly rental basis.
Rs 30,000-Rs 45,000 Reserve rent per booth depending on the size
The reserve rent per booth is between Rs 30,000 and 45,000 depending on the size. The area of booths is between 12 and 20 square yards.
Centre said no to sale on freehold basis
The MC had earlier written to UT Administration to allow it to dispose of its properties on a freehold basis. However, the administration did not get a go-ahead from the Centre for the same.
What traders feel
Traders did not evince interest in these units as they felt the cost was too much. Moreover, they did not expect much business there. They suggested the MC should either bring down the cost of the booths or rent these out.
Five-year lease
The lease will be for a period of five years and can be renewed for another five years based on the enhancement of rent from time to time.
The e-auction process, which started today, will continue till April 19. The MC had earlier written to the UT Administration to allow it to give away its properties on a freehold basis. However, the administration did not get a go-ahead from the Centre for the same. The MC had earlier tried to sell its properties on a leasehold basis. In one of the auctions, it had fixed the reserve price of these booths between Rs 55.12 lakh and Rs 80.74 lakh.
The corporation had spent crores on the construction of these booths in 2013. However, traders did not evince interest in these units as they felt the cost was too much. Moreover, they did not expect much business there. They suggested the MC should either bring down the cost of the booths or rent these out.
At present, vagabond or migrants spend night outside these booths. Besides, the vacant booths are going to burden the MC financially on account of their maintenance.
The MC had rent out some of its vacant booths at the AC Fish and Meat Market, Sector 41, on a monthly basis. These booths had been lying unoccupied for years.
