Auctioning of fancy vehicle registration numbers made mandatory in Dibrugarh

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, Jan 18: The State Government through a gazette notification issued on December 29 , has proposed to introduce a new policy of auctioning the VIP and fancy number plates of vehicles to add extra value to the State expenditure. In this regard, a directive has been sent to all the District Transport Officers of the State. As per the notification, for anyone asking for a fancy number plate, the auctioning of the same is mandatory.

While talking to The Sentinel, the District Transport Officer (DTO) , SR Mann gave a briefing on the soon to be implemented policy , to which he added that all rules and regulations regarding the auctioning of fancy and VIP number plates would be fixed by the Transport Commissioner.

Earlier approval letter for issuing fancy number plates was given by the Transport Commissioner, only after payment of Rs 5,000 at the time of registration of a vehicle.

Speaking further, Mann informed that the State Government had fixed the base price of the numbers to be auctioned, like for fancy numbers 0001 - 0786 , the base price is Rs 1 lakh , while for numbers 0002 - 0009 , the Base Price is been fixed at Rs 50,000.

Likewise for commercial vehicles, the Base Price for numbers 0001 - 0768 has been fixed at Rs 20,000, and for numbers 0002 - 0009 the Base Price is Rs 10,000.

 For any number series between 0010 - 0099, the Base Price is Rs 25,000.

Adding more , Mann stated that Fancy Registration Numbers- 0100, 0200, 0300, 0400, 0500, 0600, 0700, 0800,0900,1000, 2000,3000, 4000, 5000,6000, 7000,8000, 9000, 0111, 0222, 0333, 0444, 0555, 0666, 0777, 0888, 0999, 1111,2222, 3333,4444,5555, 6666, 7777, 8888, 9999 have been placed under Grade- 4 A while the Base Price of each of these numbers are Rs 20,000.

 Moreover, as per the decision taken by the government , 411 numbers of each of the series will be auctioned. According to the Gazette notification, in the first day of every week , Fancy Registration Marks (FARM) has to be hanged in the notice board of the District Transport Office. The vehicle owners with all the necessary documents may submit their sealed application along with a demand draft.

DTO Mann further said that on the last day of every week or on the next working day ,  the applications would be opened  in the presence of the applicant or his representative.  The applicant who pays the highest amount will be given the fancy registration number.

There will be a gap of at least five days between the first and last of the said auction.

The assent  relating to  fancy registration number was taken in the last monsoon session of the Assam Assembly  with the amendment to the  Assam Motor Vehicles Act. In respect to government vehicles, this number will be given free of cost but the certificate of the department concerned secretary or its head and the certificate of the Deputy Commissioner are essential.

The system of online auctioning of Fancy Registration Numbers has been implemented in New Delhi in October, 2014 and in this e-auctioning for the number 0001, the highest amount received by Delhi Transport Department is Rs 12.5 lakh. This system has also been put into force in Punjab, Harya, Goa , Kartaka and Odisha.

This new system of auctioning of fancy registration numbers of vehicles will help the State Treasury to earn maximum revenue and the special privilege of the Transport Commissioner to auction the vehicle numbers will be done away with.