Chandigarh: The city’s first planned Bulk Market, being developed in Sector 56, is steadily moving toward completion, with the Chandigarh administration aiming to finish all major infrastructure work by the end of October. Designed to accommodate businesses in the furniture, marble, and construction sectors, the market will have 200 one-kanal plots and 52 booths, offering a structured and legal alternative to the city’s informal commercial clusters.Spread across 55.14 acres, the Bulk Market is part of the administration’s broader push for organised urban development. The project includes dedicated areas for roads, green spaces, parking, and public utilities. According to officials, the engineering department has already awarded separate tenders for civil works, public health infrastructure, and electrification. These include construction of internal roads, parking areas, water supply and sewage systems, stormwater drains, installation of streetlights and a power sub-station.However, a key hurdle remains: obtaining the mandatory Environment Clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The estate office had earlier floated a tender to hire a consultant for securing the EC, but only two bids were received—one short of the required minimum of three. As a result, the tender process is being repeated.“The consultant will be responsible for conducting all necessary environmental studies, preparing documentation, and submitting the proposal to the ministry. Only after receiving the EC can the administration proceed with the allotment of plots and booths,” a senior official told TOI.The development plan has been prepared in collaboration with multiple departments, including urban planning, land acquisition, and engineering. The urban planning department provided layout drawings, while the engineering department is overseeing on-ground execution. Several inter-departmental meetings were held to finalise the layout and coordinate responsibilities.Environmental considerations have also been addressed. The site had around 350 trees—both dead and green—which were removed after obtaining the necessary permissions. The Forest Department and the Municipal Corporation were involved in this process, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.The idea for the Bulk Market was conceived following surveys of the existing Marble Market in Dhanas and Sarangpur conducted in 2016 and 2018. These surveys identified 182 shops, including 162 marble outlets. Based on this data, 200 plots were earmarked for the new market. Later, it was decided to also accommodate shopkeepers from the recently demolished furniture market.All plots and booths will be allotted through an open auction, with the collector rate serving as the base price. This is intended to ensure transparency and fair access for all eligible traders.Project FinancialsCivil Works: Rs 16.37 crorePublic Health Infrastructure: Rs 4.55 croreElectricity Works: Rs 84.35 lakhContingency: Rs 49.11 lakhTotal estimated cost: Rs 22.26 croreLand Use DistributionPlots: 20.75 acresGreen Area: 8.03 acresParking: 3.37 acresToilets: 0.096 acresRoads: 22.90 acresDetails of the project: Total Area of Bulk Market: 55.14 acres (178,829.09 square meters)One Kanal Plots: 200 (15×28 meters)Booths: 52 (2.52×8.3 meters)(Photo by Pritam Thakur)MSID:: 122799219 413 |
