A fresh controversy has erupted over the auction of heritage chairs from Punjab’s MLA Hostel in Chicago, USA, on June 4 for USD 44,800 (approximately Rs 37.4 lakh), raising questions about the preservation and accountability of assets linked to the state’s legislative institutions.Raising the issue, Ajay Jagga, a member of the Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh, claimed that the chairs carried the inventory marking “M.L.A (H) PB / 1 / B – 11”.The Punjab government is yet to respond officially to his representation.Seeking a high-level probe into the matter, Jagga, in a representation addressed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, alleged that the items, part of the post-Independence Capital Project, were sold through a Chicago-based auction house.Jagga contended that the auction violated Article 49 of the Constitution, which obligates the state to protect objects of artistic or historic importance from spoliation, removal, disposal or export.He said this was the second such reported case. In October 2021, two tables from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha were reportedly auctioned in the US for USD 17,849 (around Rs 13.36 lakh). Jagga had raised the issue with the Speaker at the time as well.Questioning how the MLA Hostel furniture left the country despite orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs restricting the export of heritage items, he urged the Punjab government to ascertain who authorised the sale and whether the requisite permissions had been obtained.Jagga also called on the authorities to approach US agencies through the Indian Embassy to determine how the items reached the auction house and whether Indian and US laws were complied with, including immigration and visa regulations, if applicable.