Chandigarh, Feb. 25 -- After two decades of delay, the UT Administration is set to begin the e-auction of 23 fruit and vegetable shops in Sector 39 from March 3 as part of the long-awaited relocation of the Sector 26 grain market. The auction will be conducted online and for the first time it will be open to general public, a move that has drawn opposition from traders in Sector 26.

Bidders can upload the required documents on e-auction.gov.in by March 24 and the auction will take place from March 28 to March 31. 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 99 years.

In January this year,...