First-time Himachal BJP MLA from Karsog spends ₹12.5 lakh to buy 0001 number for his car

The Newz Radar

MANDI: BJP MLA from Karsog in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, Deep Raj, has acquired the prestigious HP30B-0001 number for his car for Rs 12.5 lakh.

A first-time MLA, Deep Raj was born on October 7, 1988, at Karsog to Sunder Lal and Devki Devi. He has done diploma in computer science from government polytechnic college, Kangra. A social worker, he is married to Shalini and they have one son.

Elected to the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in December 2022, he has been nominated as a member of the Welfare & Rural Planning Committees.

The Himachal Pradesh Transport Department’s recent online auction for VIP numbers has garnered significant attention and revenue, with enthusiastic participants vying for exclusive number plates. The auction, conducted for four VIP numbers, witnessed fervent bidding, resulting in substantial earnings for the department. The auction concluded with the Transport Department accumulating a sum of Rs 45.5 lakh.

Pradeep Singh of Sujanpur in Hamirpur district secured the coveted HP84-0001 number with the highest bid of Rs 16 lakh. Nekram from Dharamshala and Nitin Goyal from Kumarsain in Shimla district each successfully bid Rs 8.5 lakh for their desired VIP numbers. The auctions were conducted in Sujanpur, Kumarsain, Dharamshala and Karsog.

Participants in the auction were required to deposit 30 per cent of the minimum bid price, totaling Rs 1.5 lakh, as a non-refundable registration fee. The department’s online bidding platform has proven to be lucrative, amassing over Rs 11 crore in revenue to date. A total of 3,155 fancy numbers have been allocated through the online bidding process.

The VVIP number 0001 that was previously reserved exclusively for government vehicles is now available for public acquisition, signaling a shift in departmental rules and regulations.