Other States - Orissa   

Be ready to pay more for that fancy number!

CUTTACK: Choicest and fancy registration number for vehicles in Orissa would now be auctioned like in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The State Transport Authority (STA) is currently working out the modalities of the auction and a proposal to this effect would be submitted to the government soon, informed the transport commissioner A K Meena.

Mr. Meena said that the STA is now working on various modalities to introduce auctioning for the numbers most in demand. "We are working on it and very soon a proposal would be placed before the government to this effect", he said adding when several other state governments are filling their coffers by auctioning the numbers, why can’t we.

STA sources said the department had earlier proposed to amend the old fee structure of Rs 5,000 for motorcycle numbers and Rs 10,000 for car numbers on first-come-first-serve basis. "The State Government had last month come out with a draft notification under Rule 14 of Orissa Motor Vehicles Rules 1993 to charge Rs 7500 for choicest numbers of motorcycles and Rs 15000 of cars", informed the Cuttack RTO P N Khuntia.

The STA had also made several other slabs for single digit and other numbers more in demand. But the government refused to amend the rules except marginally hiking the earlier fee structure. The changes had been proposed keeping in view the demand for these numbers, Khuntia added.

Mr. Meena who took charge as transport commissioner recently however, disapproves the present proposals saying: "When the people are prepared to pay more for certain numbers why should not the government cash in on the demand by auctioning them."

Even the High Court while adjudicating a writ petition had suggested the auctioning the numbers, RTO office sources said. The State Government had last revised the fee for select numbers in 2003 after studying the tariff of states like Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

Before that, the vehicle owners were paying only Rs 100 for the choicest numbers that was going to the Red Cross. Some want vehicle numbers matching their birth years while many want numbers prescribed by their astrologers. Numerology plays a vital link for many to choose their numbers and some want a particular number for other considerations too.

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