Chandigarh: 29 shops demolished at furniture market in Sectors 53, 54

Chandigarh, June 30

A few days after shopkeepers were served notices, 29 shops in the illegal furniture market in Sectors 53 and 54 were demolished today. These shopkeepers had failed to submit their replies to the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO).

A team of the UT Estate office, accompanied by huge police force, started the demolition drive around 6 am. It continued till 1 pm.

Of the total shopkeepers who have been served demolition notices, 116 had filed their replies to the LAO and these are being examined by the officer. Shopkeepers said the units of only those traders, who had not submitted their replies to the LAO, were demolished today.

Sanjeev Bhandari, president, New Furniture Market Association, said, “The UT Administration should rehabilitate us if they want us to leave this site.”

According to the DC, the market has been running illegally on government land and the UT is duty-bound to get the encroachments removed. The Administration was the absolute owner of this land, which falls in Badheri village.

On June 22, the LAO had issued a notice to the furniture market, directing the shopkeepers to demolish their shops and vacate government land within a week.

The officer had issued notices to shopkeepers of the furniture market asking them to clear the site by June 28. In response to the notices, a delegation of the Furniture Market Association on June 25 met DC Vinay Pratap Singh. After hearing their grievances, the DC asked them to file individual replies to the LAO before June 28, failing which demolition would be proceeded ex parte.

The High Court has disposed of all petitions in this regard in September 2023. The court’s decision upheld the administration’s right to reclaim the land.

Rehabilitate shopkeepers

The UT Administration should rehabilitate us if they want us to leave this site. — Sanjeev Bhandari, president, New Furniture Market Association