Plan to shift grain market to new site at Sector 39 hits hurdle

Chandigarh, December 27

In a turn of events, the UT Administration’s plan to relocate the Sector 26 grain, fruit and vegetable market to Sector 39 has hit a hurdle. After years of contemplation, the authorities have now discovered that crucial Kajauli waterworks pipelines pass through the mandi site. Originally laid in 1980, these pipelines are integral to the city’s water supply network.

The Sector 39 grain market’s warehouse and cold storage areas, crucial components of the proposed relocation, sit right atop the main Kajauli waterline.

Rupesh Kumar, Secretary, Chandigarh State Agriculture Marketing Board, said all permutations and combinations were being worked out to resolve the issue at the earliest.

If the pipelines are shifted to some other place, the process can take at least six months and is likely to cost nearly Rs 5 crore. An official said the project would be undertaken under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation.

Despite this hurdle, the Administration would move forward with the auctioning of 92 shops at the new grain market.

In April this year, the UT Administration had decided to auction 92 shop-cum-offices (SCOs) in Sector 39 on a freehold basis, with each SCO measuring 120 sq yd and carrying a reserve price of Rs 3.7 crore. The establishment of this market in 2002 was aimed at decongesting the overcrowded Sector 26 grain market, which had no room left for expansion.

The auction will be conducted in accordance with the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007, with preference given to the existing licensees of the Sector 26 market. Of the approximately 170 licensees there, 30 deal in grains and the rest in fruits and vegetables.

Upon the successful allotment of shops in the new Sector 39 market, the de-notification process for the Sector 26 market will proceed in a phased manner.

Expressing concerns, Brij Mohan, president of the Sector 26 Sabzi Mandi Arhtiya Association, emphasised that the UT Administration should adhere to the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board (Sale and Transfer of Plots) Rules, 1961, for site allotment.