People in Himachal Pradesh are becoming so obsessed with the VIP number that they are ready to pay anything for the fancy numbers for their vehicles. The latest example of this fixation is a bid of Rs 1,12,15,400 a resident has made to get a number for his scooty.
The case pertains to the Regional License Authority Office in Kotkhai of the Shimla district.
The government put out special two-wheeler numbers for an online auction for on Thursday. Initially, the government fixed the price for a unique number HP99-9999 at Rs 1,000.
The offer for HP No. 99-9999 reportedly went to as high as Rs 1,12,15,500, the highest-ever price for a two-wheeler number in the history of Himachal Pradesh, according to the official website of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. The same number has received bids from 26 bidders.
Popularity of scooter licence plates has surprised the locals, the site added.
In fact, the costs of the second and third VVIP numbers, HP99-0009 and HP-990005, also raised eyebrows, and the corresponding high bids were of Rs 21 Lakh and 20 Lakh, respectively. For the first time in Himachal Pradesh’s history, scooter owners are keen to buy numbers through auction.
Viral on social media
The moment the bidding process commenced, screenshots of the bidding went viral grabbing instant attention. A user said this apple season had been successful. Another user commented that he was surprised by the high offer for scooty’s phone number and suggested that the bidder should be penalised if he subsequently decides not to purchase. Some users made funny memes by adding local dialects.
The Kotkhai region is one of the prosperous belts of Himachal Pradesh. There are about 40 villages in this tehsil, which is known for its high-quality orchids.