Faced with shortage of manpower, the Transport Department has decided to hand over the auctioning of VIP numberplates for cars to Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC).
A proposal to this effect has been sent to lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. The decision to transfer this segment to DTTDC was taken after Delhi Government’s service department refused to provide adequate manpower to the Transport Department. The best part of the proposed scheme is that those hunting these fancy numbers don’t need to make rounds of the Transport Department offices as these numbers are to be auctioned as part of an online application scheme. The online auctioning of VIP numberplates, which has got the lieutenant Governor’s approval, hasn’t taken off as the Transport Department wants dedicated staff for this project.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the Transport Department has sent a proposal to this effect to the lieutenant Governor. “If the l-G approves, DTTDC will take care of this project. We have developed special software for this purpose. A dedicated team of 15 to 20 people is required for the project. The paucity of personnel has meant that the project, despite being ready, cannot become functional as there is no one to monitor the process and back-end operations of the software developed for e-auctioning,” informed sources.
The fancy car registration numbers have been divided into five categories with varying base prices. The department will announce the numbers, which will be put up for sale at the beginning of each fortnight. The plan is to have an auction every fortnight and a series of about 140 VIP numbers will go under the hammer. The dark lining of these dreamed of numberplates is that there will be a base price for every category — Rs 5 lakh for 0001, for instance —and the final price can only go up in an auction. The reserved fee for other single digit number from 0002 to 0009 has been fixed at Rs 3 lakh, while the third category of double-digit numbers like 0010 to 0099 has a base price of Rs 2 lakh. The category having number 786, considered auspicious by Muslims, will come for at least Rs 2 lakh. Numbers such as 0100, 0111, 0200, 0222, 0300, 0333 and similar numbers up to 0999 will cost Rs 1 lakh to begin with. Similarly, numbers like 2000, 8000 and 8888, 9000, 0101, 0108, 1008 will also have a reserve price of Rs 1 lakh.
“The highest bidder during the 14-day process will eventually get the number,” added sources. The move may create some controversy as these numbers can be availed by ordinary citizens who can afford to pay but the same has been made absolutely free for MPs, MlAs, judges and bureaucrats.
Since last year, no fancy or VIP registration number has been allotted except to exempt categories like MlA, MP, Union and Delhi Government officials, judges, etc. Officials in the Transport Department admitted that several fancy numbers have been allotted under this category in this period.
The decision to auction fancy numbers was taken after the department received complaints of corruption in allotment. “People would request for fancy numbers from the local transport office as well as approach the Minister as the numbers come at a premium. Since the consumer was willing to pay so much, the Government decided to auction them,” said an official. In States like Haryana, Punjab and Goa, auctioning of fancy numbers fetches the Government crores in revenue, he added.