Chandigarh, July 20 (IANS) In a major demolition drive, 116 unauthorised temporary furniture shops, functioning for the past 40 years in Chandigarh, were razed on Sunday by the local administration despite protests by shopkeepers.

The administration claimed that 160 acres were vacated in the drive that saw deployment of heavy security personnel in the furniture market in Sectors 53 and 54.

The market occupied 15 acres of agricultural land on a busy road connecting the capital city with Mohali in Punjab. Over the years the market, with no parking facility, fire-safety equipment and public amenities, emerged as a major hub for furniture buyers in the region.

In the 1990s, the Chandigarh administration had tried to demolish the shops, but traders got a stay against the decision from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The administration had purchased the encroached land in 2002.

When the administration again started the process to clear the land from encroachments, shopkeepers again approached the court, but it dismissed the petitions in September 2023, upholding the administration’s right to reclaim the land.

Since then, several attempts were made by the administration, but owing to political interferences, time and again, the demolition was put on hold.

On January 9 this year, the estate officer issued eviction orders to the shopkeepers, directing them to vacate the encroached land within 15 days.

The order clearly stated that no alternative site for relocation would be provided.

The deadline expired on January 24, and a demolition drive was initially planned for January 28, but again put on hold. The administration has been asking the shopkeepers to participate in the open auction of shops in the upcoming Bulk Material Market at Sector 56, but shopkeepers sought assured allotments in Sector 56.

Ahead of Sunday’s demolition, 29 shops in the furniture market were demolished on June 30. Last year, in June, the Land Acquisition Department issued a notice to the market, directing the shopkeepers to demolish their shops on their own and vacate the government land.

–IANS

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