Chandigarh, 13 January 2025: In response to the Chandigarh administration’s eviction notice for traders at the Sector 53/54 furniture market, former Union Minister and MP Pawan Kumar Bansal has called for the Punjab governor and UT Administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, to intervene and delay the eviction until alternative spaces in the proposed Bulk Material market are allocated.
In a letter addressed to the governor, Bansal raised concerns over the administration’s decision not to allot alternative sites for the shopkeepers. He argued that the decision warranted compassionate reconsideration at the governor’s level, especially since many of these traders have been operating their businesses in the area since 1985—well before the land acquisition notification was issued by the administration.
“These traders have served a vast majority of Chandigarh’s residents, providing affordable furniture to various sections of the population,” Bansal wrote. “They have repeatedly requested an opportunity to buy shops in the new market and continue operating at their current location in the interim, on a rental basis, as determined by the administration.”
While acknowledging the need to vacate the acquired site, Bansal also emphasized the role these 116 furniture shops have played in meeting the city’s need for affordable furniture. “This area stands acquired for more than two decades, but we cannot ignore the reality that these businesses have fulfilled an essential demand,” Bansal added.
Bansal further stressed that, given Chandigarh’s rapid expansion in recent years, a dedicated space for the furniture market is critical. “This is not just a necessity for the traders, but for the general public as well. Furniture production and display cannot simply take place in shops intended for general trade across the city’s sectors,” Bansal concluded.
