Sector-39 Grain Market Shops to Open for Public Bidding via E-Auction from March 3

After two decades of delay, the UT Administration is set to begin the e-auction of 23 fruit and vegetable shops in Sector 39 from March 3 as part of the long-awaited relocation of the Sector 26 grain market.

- Hillary Victor

CHANDIGARH:

The auction will be conducted online and for the first time it will be open to the general public, a move that has drawn opposition from traders in Sector 26. Bidders can upload the required documents on e-auction.gov.in 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.

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 has decided to auction 23 shops first, with the remaining to follow based on the response.