A Chandigarh based man named Kanwaljit Walia, has created a sensation in the north by coughing up an enormous Rs. 8.1 Lakh for a VIP number on his new Honda Activa 125. The catering business operator Kanwaljit Walia won the number '0001' by making the highest bid. The auction was conducted by Chandigarh’s Licensing Authority over the weekend wherein they offered numbers between '0001' to '9999' from the new CH01BC series offered by the RTO department.
In the past, the number '0001' has been most sought after by individuals wherein it has sold for anywhere between Rs. 70,000 to about Rs. 10 Lakh. Way back in 2010 NS Shergill, a farmer-turned-Realtor, reportedly made the highest bid. At the auction, Walia reportedly paid an additional Rs. 2.6 Lakh for getting license number CH01BC 0011 for his son's new bike and the number CH01BC 0026 for his third SUV.
Speaking more on the occasion, Kashish Mittal of the Registration and Licensing Authority in Chandigarh, said, “In this region the rich have a passion for fancy numbers while we manage to generate decent revenue out of it.” Last year, authorities reportedly made a record Rs. 98.7 lakh within just two days on the launch of CH-01-AX series registration number.
Source - NDTV