The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put a hold on the finalisation of the paid parking tender for Chandigarh's Sector 26 grain market. The court directed the Market Committee and the Chandigarh Administration that the tender proceedings regarding parking in the Sector 26 mandi shall not be finalised till the next date of hearing.
The order came on a petition filed by trader Mohit Sood and others of the grain market, Sector 26, Chandigarh, through advocate Arpandeep Narula.
Why Traders Challenged the Chandigarh Mandi Parking Tender
The petitioners challenged Clause 12 of the fresh e-tender dated August 2, 2026, floated by the Market Committee, Chandigarh, for the operation and management of paid parking in the mandi area.
Importantly, the petitioners made their position clear. They said they have no objection to properly regulated parking at the 10 specifically designated parking sites identified in the present tender. Their grievance is against the provision which permits parking operations in a way they find objectionable under Clause 12.
What the High Court Order Means
The High Court's direction means the tender process cannot move to its final stage for now. The Market Committee and the Chandigarh Administration must wait until the next date of hearing before taking any final decision on awarding or concluding the tender.
- The interim protection applies to the entire tender finalisation process for Sector 26 mandi parking.
- The petitioners are not opposing parking regulation itself — only the specific clause they have challenged.
- The 10 designated parking sites in the tender are not part of the traders' objection.
- The matter will be heard again on the next date fixed by the High Court.
Our Take: A Fair Check on Tender Terms
In our view, this order is a sensible pause. The traders have made a narrow, specific objection — they are not against parking being regulated in the mandi. They are against one clause in the tender document. That is a reasonable position for any business community to take.
To put it plainly, the High Court has done what courts should do in such situations: stop the process from being finalised before the objection is heard properly. If the tender had been finalised and a contractor appointed, undoing that later would have been messy for everyone — the Market Committee, the Administration, the traders, and any winning bidder.
For readers in Chandigarh, especially those who use the Sector 26 grain market daily, this news matters. The parking arrangement in the mandi affects traders, transporters, and visitors. A tender that is challenged in court before it is finalised is better than one challenged after. The next hearing will decide whether Clause 12 stays or goes.
What should readers watch for? Whether the Market Committee agrees to modify the disputed clause, or whether the court itself gives a clear direction on it. Until then, the parking tender for Sector 26 mandi stays on hold.