Chandigarh: Illegal Furniture Market Operating Since 1985 Demolished In Sector 53 And 54; Employed Nearly 1,000

An unauthorised furniture market housing 116 shops is being demolished in Chandigarh’s Sector 53 and 54 on Sunday. The market had illegally occupied 15 acres of agricultural land in the area. The demolition is currently taking place in the presence of local authorities and police.

#WATCH | Chandigarh: An unauthorised furniture market in Sectors 53 and 54 being demolished in the presence of local administration and Police.

The unauthorised market, functioning since 1985, houses 116 shops and occupies approximately 15 acres of agricultural land in Sectors… pic.twitter.com/Zrma0dV91d

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2025

The market, which has been in operation since 1985, employs nearly 1000 people. Nishant Kumar Yadav, the UT estate officer-cum Deputy Commissioner, on Saturday, informed about the presence of over 1,000 police personnel during the anti-encroachment drive. 

With an improper parking space outside the shops, the market located at the busy artery connecting Chandigarh and Mohali, the market has emerged as a major chokepoint, blocking free movement of vehicles. 

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In the early 1990s, the UT administration attempted to remove the market from there, but traders had secured a stay from the Punjab, Haryana High Court in 1993.

The administration had purchased a part of the encroached land, falling in Badheri village, in 2002. When it again made efforts to clear the land, the shopkeepers again approached the court for a stay; however, the court dismissed the petitions in September 2023, upholding the administration’s right to reclaim the land.

The market has encountered multiple fire incidents as the space between shops is minimal, and shops store multiple inflammable items like thinners.