No takers for MC properties, Mayor to approach Badnore with ‘solution’

CHANDIGARH: With commercial properties of the Municipal Corporation (MC) worth crores lying vacant for many years despite several auctions, the Mayor will now request the UT Administrator to make these properties freehold and reduce the collector rate by 20 per cent.

The AC fish market, which was built in Sector 41 at the cost of Rs 16 crore, is lying unused since 2008. file Photo

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 31

With commercial properties of the Municipal Corporation (MC) worth crores lying vacant for many years despite several auctions, the Mayor will now request the UT Administrator to make these properties freehold and reduce the collector rate by 20 per cent.

Mayor Rajesh Kalia said, “We have held several auctions for vacant MC properties, but in a vain. There has been a demand to make them freehold and cut the collector rate by 20 per cent. I will discuss the matter with the MC Commissioner and request the UT Administrator to accede to the demand.”

Having failed to find bidders for 40 booths at the Sector 17 underbridge and 11 booths at the Sector 17 ISBT-Sector 22 underpass, the MC had slashed the reserved price by 20 per cent last time. While for booths in Mauli Jagran and Sector 39, the reserved price was reduced by 10 per cent. There were still no bidders.

The reserved price of the booths at the Sector 17 underbridge ranges between about Rs 55.12 lakh and Rs 80.74 lakh. Shops at the Sector 17-22 subway has reserve price of Rs 54.36 lakh. The reserved price of booths at Mauli Jagran ranges between about Rs 10.96 lakh and Rs 35.5 lakh. Besides, all booths at the fish market in Sector 41, a few booths in the day food street market in Sector 48 and several booths in UT villages are lying vacant. These all properties were built about five to 10 years ago.

The vacant booths at Sector 17 were built in 2013 at the cost of about Rs 16 crore and the fish market in 2008 for Rs 1 crore. Around 112 booths were built at Mauli Jagran in 2011 at the cost of about Rs 4 crore.

Leader of the Opposition Devinder Singh Babla said, “The MC should bring down the rates of these properties. At least they can give these booths on daily rent to interested people. They are only wasting public money.”

Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, president, Chandigarh Traders Association, Sector 17, commented, “First of all, these properties should be made freehold. For leasehold properties, one has to pay 2.50 per cent ground rent of the auction value and 18 per cent GST on it.”