Chandigarh, July 20 -- In a joint operation conducted by the local administration and police, an unauthorised furniture market spread across Sectors 53 and 54 in Chandigarh was demolished on Sunday. The market, which had been operational since 1985, consisted of 116 shops occupying approximately 15 acres of agricultural land.

Located along a key road connecting Chandigarh and Mohali, the market had become a regular cause of traffic congestion due to unregulated parking and encroachments, hampering the smooth movement of vehicles.

Speaking to ANI, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) East Khushpreet Kaur said, "We were giving them an ultimatum from time to time. Last year, the initiative to get the market vacated was started. Following that, ...