Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Four heritage furniture items from the city, which were designed by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret, will go under the hammer in France on May 31.

The items likely to be put up for auction are a public bench, a committee armchair, an office table and a pair of chairs.

The furniture is likely to fetch more than Rs47 lakh in the auction.

In a letter to S Jaishankar, Union Minister for External Affairs, Ajay Jagga, member, Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh, said the auction of Chandigarh heritage items would be conducted in Paris by auction house Artcurial on May 31 in violation of the MHA orders dated February 22, 2011.

He requested S Jaishankar to look into the matter and approach the law-enforcing agencies to find out how these items reached the auction house, so that the auction of the smuggled heritage items, if any, could be stalled, after ascertaining the facts.