Rs 15 crore worth of iconic Chandigarh furniture lost to negligence in the past two years

Chandigarh, proudly touted as a "Smart City", with its supposedly astute police force well-versed in managing chaotic situations, appears to have fallen remarkably short in a different domain.

- TARUNI GANDHI

In this tale of negligence and misplaced priorities, it is evident that even amidst the disappearance and auction of precious heritage furniture-crafted by none other than "Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret"-the Administrator of Chandigarh remains more engrossed in delving into "Punjab Matters" than in safeguarding the very essence of Chandigarh. Over the past two years, "Heritage Furniture of Chandigarh" worth a staggering Rs 15 crore have mysteriously found their way onto foreign shores. Astonishingly, the Chandigarh administration received prior notifications about these auctions, yet it seems its attention was steadfastly fixed elsewhere.

Shockingly, the Chandigarh Administration was repeatedly tipped off about these auctions, but it seems they had other, more pressing matters to attend to. In their latest escapade, 20 priceless pieces of furniture vanished into thin air, only to magically reappear in a foreign land, ready to be auctioned off.

"But wait, it gets better. These heritage gems, the pride of Chandigarh, were sold off in France for a cool Rs 3.81 crore," said senior advocate Ajay Jagga, who has made it a habit to inform the Chandigarh Administration about these auctions well in advance. Jagga has even been a member of the Heritage Committee.