Chandigarh, April 1 -- After two decades, the UT administration finally sold 12 out of the 23 fruit and vegetable shops in Sector 39 through an e-auction that concluded on Monday.

The highest bid was of Rs.3.85 crore against the reserve price of Rs.3.70 crore, while the lowest bid was of Rs.3.75 crore. The UT administration's agriculture department earned a revenue of Rs.45 crore from the auction. The successful bidders will have three years to construct their shops.

The e-auction process began on March 3 as part of the long-awaited relocation of the Sector 26 grain market. This was the first time that the auction was conducted online and was open to the general public. Each shop, measuring 120 square yards, had a reserve price of Rs.3....