Controversy has erupted over the auction of a pair of heritage chairs and a set of four low stools from the Punjab MLA Hostel in Sector 4, Chandigarh, in the United States for Rs 59 lakh. Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has sought a custody report from the Chandigarh (UT) Administration regarding the matter.
High-Level Meeting Called
A high-level meeting was held with concerned authorities of the administration to ascertain who the custodian of these heritage items was. The furniture is in the custody of various authorities of the Punjab, Haryana, and UT Chandigarh governments, with inventory records maintained by the UT administration.
Taking serious note of the issue, Speaker Sandhwan stated that strict action will be taken against the culprits and accountability will be fixed for those responsible. He emphasized that any intentional negligence damaging Chandigarh’s unique architectural and historical heritage will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Auction Details
The heritage furniture was auctioned in Chicago, USA, on June 4 for USD 72,720 (over Rs 59 lakh). The chairs alone sold for over Rs 42 lakh, while the stools fetched over Rs 17 lakh. The sale has raised serious questions about the preservation of assets linked to the state’s legislative institutions.
Notably, the items reached the auction house in the US despite clear orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding checks on the movement, sale, and export of such heritage items. The items were sold by a US-based auction house, Wright, and a picture of the sold chairs on its website carries the inventory marking “MLA (H) PB/1/B-11”.
Heritage Protection Cell Raises Concerns
Ajay Jagga, a member of the Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh — an apex committee set up by the Chandigarh Administration to make an inventory, trace, and prevent illicit trafficking of iconic mid-century modern heritage furniture — had written a letter urging Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to ascertain who authorized the sale and whether requisite permissions were obtained. The heritage cell is headed by the UT Chief Secretary.
