Years after being dumped at the backyard of the local Government Railway Police (GRP) Thana, the railway police will finally conduct the auction of 110 unclaimed vehicles on May 19.
The railway police currently have in custody 165 unclaimed vehicles, of which 110 will be auctioned, including four cars, 42 scooters, four auto rickshaws and 60 motorcycles.
Many vehicles involved in a crash have not been claimed by the victims’ kin, fearing it to be jinxed. The owners of few vehicles, which had been wrongly parked, never returned to take those after the parking fee surpassed the cost of the vehicle amid Covid.
The auction was supposed to be held in October, but due to a strike of the ministerial staff, the meeting of the committee was deferred then.
“GRP submitted numerous requests with the local administration to declare the date of the auction but the task got further delayed due to the Punjab assembly elections. In January, assistant inspector general, GRP, Punjab, requested the Ludhiana deputy commissioner to fix the date of auction of the said vehicles.” a GRP official said.
After much delay, a local court in January had directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to immediately submit the list of unclaimed vehicles which had been lying in the backyard of the police station for many years and expedite their disposal.
{{/usCountry}}After much delay, a local court in January had directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to immediately submit the list of unclaimed vehicles which had been lying in the backyard of the police station for many years and expedite their disposal.
{{/usCountry}}A five-member committee comprising the GRP deputy superintendent of police, an inspector, the work manager of Punjab roadways, an official from the district transport office and another transport official have fixed the base price of each vehicle to be auctioned.
According to the officials, the base price of two cars have been fixed at ₹18,000 each, and the other two for ₹12,000 and 19,000, considering their model and condition.
For three autos, it has been fixed at ₹12,000 each, and for one at ₹13,000.
Also, the reserve price for two bullet motorcycles is ₹20,000 and for two Bajaj bikes, it is ₹7,000. For the rest, it is ₹5,000 each. The base price for scooters will vary from ₹2,500 to ₹3,500.
The vehicles worth lakhs will be auctioned to scrap dealers.
“Scrap dealers from any part of the state can participate in the auction. The auction will be conducted in the presence of the five-member committee and other senior officials,” an officer told.
While cars and autos will be auctioned in one lot, there will be two lots of scooters and motorcycles for auction.
The GRP will hold the auction under Section 25 of the Police Act and under Section 102 of the CRPC.