Fancy vehicle registration numbers under hammer again

Himachalscape bureau May 17, 2023 3 minutes read

Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet

Fancy vehicle registration numbers under hammer again

Shimla, May 17

Revised Auction Process for Fancy Number Registration Introduced by State Transport Department

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Fancy vehicle registration numbers under hammer again Shimla, May 17 Also read: Rs 1.50 Cr VVIP Scotty number auction bidders found fake, fraudsters dupe State Transport department In response to this incident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ordered a cybercrime probe. As a result, the Himachal Transport Department suspended the VVIP fancy number portal. The whereabouts of the fraudsters remain unknown, and the cybercrime sleuths have yet to make progress in their investigation.About the Author Himachalscape bureau

In order to ensure a fool proof auction of fancy numbers, the State Transport Department has restarted the e-auction process, effective from May 16. This new system aims to issue fancy registration numbers for vehicles in a secure and transparent manner. According to Anupam Kashyap, Director of Transport, the revised auction process has been made completely fool-proof by implementing the requirement of online depositing of advance money before participating in the auction.

This initiative was taken on the directive of Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the portfolio of the finance department. The goal was to make the auction process fully secure and prevent fake applications. Initially, the revised system will be implemented in the Baijnath and Shimla Registration Transport Authorities (RTA), followed by other RTAs in the state after successful testing.

Interested applicants can apply for fancy registration numbers from Monday to Saturday using the e-auction system. A registration fee of Rs. 2000 is required to be deposited. The results of the registration numbers obtained through the e-auction system will be automatically declared after 5 PM on Sunday.

Kashyap further explained that after successful registration, applicants need to deposit 30 percent of the minimum registration fee as a security amount in advance. In case the applicant is unable to secure the desired registration number, this amount will be non-refundable. The concerned fancy number will then become available for e-auction once again.

It is important to mention that previously, soon after the formation of the new government, the department fell victim to three fraudulent bidders who manipulated the online auction for a scooty fancy number, falsely quoting a bid of Rs. 1.50 crore. However, upon investigation, it was discovered that all the top three bidders were involved in fraudulent activities.

Also read: Rs 1.50 Cr VVIP Scotty number auction bidders found fake, fraudsters dupe State Transport department
In response to this incident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ordered a cybercrime probe. As a result, the Himachal Transport Department suspended the VVIP fancy number portal. The whereabouts of the fraudsters remain unknown, and the cybercrime sleuths have yet to make progress in their investigation.

To address such issues and improve the system, the Transport Department has made changes and upgrades to the portal. In collaboration with the National Informatics Center (NIC), the department is working on enhancing the portal’s functionality.

The addresses provided by the fraudulent bidders were also found to be fake. The first fake bidder had applied from Hotel Peterhoff Shimla, the second from Palampur in Kangra district, and the third from the Industrial township of Baddi in Solan district.

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