Chandigarh, July 15 -- In the second such instance within weeks, the UT administration has sought the urgent intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to stop the suspected auction of city's heritage furniture in the United States and Spain. This comes after a similar move on June 24 when the MEA managed to stop the auction of two Chandigarh-linked furniture - a Pierre Jeanneret teak-and-cane armchair marked "PU Chem/55" and another armchair bearing "PGI/W/CH-0202" - in Paris, France, at the request of UT. The latest items listed for auction include a set of desk and chair, belonging to Swiss-French architect Pierre Jeanneret, the cousin of Le Corbusier, who was instrumental in shaping Chandigarh. The two pieces bear the original institutional stencil marking "SLMB", indicating its association with the State Legislative Members Block before the reorganisation of Punjab. The second is an original Chandigarh heritage hanging armchair (PJ-SI-07-A), believed to have been designed around 1952 and made of Indian teak wood with chains and ropes. The administration said these objects form part of Chandigarh's documented heritage furniture inventory and represent the architectural vision of modernist planners associated with the city. An FIR in this regard was also registered on July 14, on the complaint of the director culture, UT. According to the complaint, the heritage furniture has been listed for auction at the Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), scheduled for July 15, and at Setdart Auction House, scheduled for July 22. The letter to the MEA, signed by secretary culture, UT, highlighted that Chandigarh's Capitol Complex has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier - an outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement". It stated that heritage furniture connected with the city's institutions has national and international cultural significance. The administration expressed apprehension that if the auction proceeds, heritage assets could permanently leave Chandigarh and India, resulting in an irreversible loss to the city's cultural identity. Seeking diplomatic assistance, the UT administration requested the MEA to coordinate with Indian embassies in theUS and Spain to secure immediate suspension or postponement of the proposed auctions; ensure the furniture is preserveduntil ownership and provenance are verified; facilitate recovery and repatriation of items if they are found to have been unlawfully removed or exported; identify any other Chandigarhheritage furniture that mayhave entered internationalmarkets through unauthorisedchannels....