Farmers Movement Archive

MC collects ~1.43 crore from sale of 23 shops

Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, May 30The Municipal Corporation (MC) collected Rs 1.43 crore by selling its shops to tenants at various locations in the city. The MC had offered the tenants ownership of its 691 shops last year. The drive was derailed due to Covid-19 lockdown.After relaxation in the lockdown, 23 shopkeepers deposited the money and bought shops from the MC. Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia said they had collected Rs 1.43 crore from 23 tenants and gave them ownership rights of shops. More shopkeepers will buy the shops in the coming days.Earlier, the shopkeepers had confusion about the ownership of roofs of these shops. On February 3, the MC general house meeting made it clear that the shopkeepers would own the roof rights. Now more shopkeepers, who were tenants in the MC’s shops, are willing to buy the properties.The estate wing officials are expecting to generate Rs50 to 80 crore from the sale.The MC owns 1,100 shops in the city in which tenants have been running their business. Around 767 tenants applied to buy the shops. After scrutiny the MC considered 691 of them eligible. The MC can give ownership rights to tenants under the Punjab Municipality (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Scheme 2017.The shopkeepers have to pay the market price of the shops. The shops are located at 33 markets, including Pul Paurian, Fire Market Chittara Road, IDH Market, Rambagh, SBS Market, Sabji Mandi Rambagh, Bhushanpura, Inder Palace Road, DD Bhatia Market, Sheranwala Gate, Maha Singh Gate near Nishant Cinema, Lahori Gate, Gurdwara Saheedan Sahib, Bhagtanwala, Power House Colony , Chatiwind Gate, Hukam Singh Road, Katra Sher Singh, Tikoni Market, Kot Atma Singh, Beri Gate and Gate Hakima.

The Tribune

2020-05-31