The mad rush and cost of a VIP vehicle registration number in India, in Chandigarh

From the archive record

A Chandigarh-based businessman has splurged a whopping Rs. 8.1 lakh on a VIP number for his scooter. Kanwaljit Walia, who has a well-known catering business in the city, made the highest bid for the number CH01BC 0001. The vehicle is his newly bought Activa scooter worth Rs. 50,000. The VIP number '0001' is much sought after. In recent years, it has been sold for anything between Rs. 70,000 and Rs. 10 lakh. The record price was paid by a farmer-turned-realtor, NS Shergill, in 2010. At the auction conducted by Chandigarh's Licensing Authority on saturday, Mr Walia spent another Rs. 2.6 lakh, buying the number CH01BC 0011 for his son's new bike and the number CH01BC 0026 for his third SUV. The other two SUVs of the family has fancy numbers too. But this is the first they have spent so much