With the renowned foreign auction houses continue earning millions through the auction of Chandigarh’s heritage items, the UT Administration is now also mulling to cash in on city’s heritage.

A proposal has been chalked out by the UT Administration for auctioning of discarded, damaged or surplus heritage furniture and other items after converting the iconic press building in Sector 18 here into a museum for heritage furniture.

In the past one decade, renowned foreign auction houses have shoveled in millions through the auction of Chandigarh’s heritage items. New York-based auction house—Phillips de Pury and Company, Chicago based auction house-Wright, Paris-based auction house—Artcurial, Paris-based auction house—Marseilles and many others have earned millions through the auction of heritage items belonging to the city.

The heritage items that have been going under the hammer abroad include tables, teak stools, arm chairs, lounge chairs, book cases, manholes, coffee tables, executive desks among others.

Only recently, auction house—Wright (USA) had earned Rs 1.44 cr (Rs 1,44,05,119) through the auction of  14 items of heritage furniture, designed by Pierre Jeanneret, a close associate  of city’s creator French architect Le  Corbusier.

The furniture and other items categorized as heritage was designed in the late 50s for the government offices here but the furniture was replaced in the late 80s and 90s.  Most of the UT Departments, unaware of the international worth of this furniture, had auctioned these as a part of junk.

But after several years, it came as a big surprise to the authorities concerned when the city’s furniture, sold as a junk for mere rupees in government auctions, went on sale for thousands of dollars by an auction house abroad in 2007.

A senior officer of the UT Administration while talking to The Pioneer said, “A proposal has been prepared to hold the auction of discarded, damaged or surplus heritage furniture and other items by the Chandigarh Administration. Since the value of such heritage items is very high in international market, the Administration is considering giving a go ahead to such auctions, after taking legal opinion.”

The officer said, “We have already prepared the plan to convert the iconic four-storeyed, glass-facade government printing press building in Sector 18 here into a museum for heritage furniture. It is proposed that ‘genuine’ heritage furniture and other items belonging to various UT Departments would be kept in this museum.”