Sector 39 grain market auction: Amid opposition by traders, Chandigarh admn files caveat in high court
Anticipating that traders of the Sector 26 vegetable market may approach the Punjab and Haryana high court against the ongoing e-auction of 23 shops in the new grain market in Sector 39, the UT Mandi Board has filed a caveat in the court.
A caveat is a caution or warning, giving notice to the court not to issue any grant or take a step without notice being given to the party lodging the caveat.
A senior officer of the Mandi Board confirmed that the caveat has been filed for smooth completion of the auction process. The UT administration had launched the auction process on March 3 as part of the long-awaited relocation of the Sector 26 grain market.
The auction is being conducted online, and for the first time, it is open to general public as well, a move that has drawn opposition from traders in Sector 26.
Bidders can upload the required documents on “https://eauction.gov.in/eauction/#/” by March 24 and the auction will take place from March 28 to March 31.
Each shop, measuring 120 square yards, has a reserve price of ₹3.70 crore. Unlike the previous system, where shops were sold on a freehold basis, these will be allotted on a leasehold basis for 99 years.
‘Traders should be given preference’
Brij Mohan, president of the Sector 26 Sabzi Mandi Arhtiya Association, opposed the move, arguing that traders from Sector 26 should be given preference.
“We will hold a meeting with the UT administrator, following which we will decide on the next course of action. How can the UT Estate Office start the auction process without notifying the approval plan?” he questioned.
In January this year, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria approved the auction of 46 out of 92 fruit and vegetable shops. The state agriculture marketing board decided to auction 23 shops first, with the remaining to follow based on the response.
The Sector 39 grain market was planned in 2002 to decongest the Sector 26 grain market, which had no room for further expansion. However, despite multiple attempts over the past year to auction 92 shops, progress has been slow.
Once the shops in Sector 39 are allotted, the Sector 26 grain market will be de-notified in phases, marking the end of an era for one of the city’s oldest wholesale markets.
