Chandigarh, July 18: After operating illegally for nearly four decades, the unauthorised furniture market spread across Sectors 53 and 54 is scheduled for demolition on July 20. UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav confirmed the plan on Thursday, stating that over 1,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain order during the operation.
The market, consisting of 116 shops over approximately 15 acres of agricultural land, has long been a source of civic and safety concerns. Located on a vital artery between Chandigarh and Mohali, the area is notorious for traffic congestion caused by illegal parking outside the shops. The market, which employs around 1,000 workers, is also a fire hazard due to the storage of flammable materials like thinners, and a near-total absence of fire-safety infrastructure.
“It’s a tinderbox,” said a senior UT official. “Minimal spacing between shops and poor regulation make it extremely risky, especially given the kind of material stored here.”
Despite repeated efforts by the administration to clear the encroachment since the 1990s, the shopkeepers had managed to stall action by obtaining court stays. The last legal hurdle was removed in September 2023, when the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed their petitions and upheld the UT administration’s right to reclaim the land.
Following this, an eviction notice was issued in June 2024, asking shopkeepers to vacate within a week. While the drive was initially halted after traders submitted representations, a final eviction order was passed on January 9 this year. The order made it clear that no alternative site would be provided for relocation. The deadline expired on January 24, but the planned January 28 demolition was again deferred.
Now, with the administration refusing to entertain any offers from the traders—including a proposal to pay rent for the encroached land until an auction is held—the demolition is back on schedule.
A senior UT official clarified that shopkeepers will be eligible to bid for shops in the upcoming Bulk Material Market in Sector 56. “The infrastructure is being developed, and the auction is likely to be conducted within two months,” the official said. “If only a few traders secure shops, they will still have the opportunity to participate in future auctions for commercial sites across the city.”
Sanjeev Bhandari, president of the furniture market association, expressed frustration over the decision. “We are exploring legal options and are hopeful of some relief,” he said. “Right now, we don’t have an alternative site to move to.”
The upcoming demolition marks a rare instance of the administration acting decisively on a long-pending issue of illegal commercial activity—one that has posed safety, legal, and urban planning challenges for nearly 40 years.
