Chandigarh, March 28 -- As many 34 technical bids have been filed for 16 of the total 23 fruit and vegetable shops at the upcoming grain market in Sector 39. The auction will begin on March 28 and continue till March 31.

After two decades of delay, the UT administration had started the e-auction process on March 3 as part of Sector 26 grain market's relocation. The auction is being conducted online and for the first time, it has been opened to the general public, a move that drew opposition from traders in Sector 26, leading to a legal dispute.

Each shop, measuring 120 square yards, has a reserve price of Rs.3.70 crore. Unlike the previous system, where shops were sold on a freehold basis, these will be allotted on a leasehold basis for...