Chandigarh, Dec. 23 -- The much sought-after fancy vehicle registration number "0001" of the CH01-DC series has fetched the second-highest bid ever recorded in Chandigarh, fetching Rs.31.35 lakh against a reserve price of Rs.50,000 at an e-auction conducted by the Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), which concluded on Sunday. The RLA conducted the e-auction of the new registration series, offering numbers from 0001 to 9999, along with leftover fancy and special numbers from previous series, between December 20 and 22. A total of 485 registration numbers were auctioned during the three-day exercise, generating revenue of Rs.2.96 crore for the Chandigarh Administration. So far, the highest-ever bid remains Rs.36.43 lakh, paid for registration number "0001" of the CH01-DA series in August this year. The third-highest bid of Rs.31 lakh had earlier been received for "0001" of the CH01-CZ series in May, followed by the fourth-highest bid of Rs.26.7 lakh for the same number in the CH01-AP series. Another Rs.25 lakh was fetched for "0001" of the CH01-CY series. Besides "0001", several other fancy numbers also attracted strong bidding. Registration number "0009" fetched the second-highest price in the latest auction at Rs.20.72 lakh, followed by "0007" at Rs.16.13 lakh. The number "9999" was sold for Rs.13.66 lakh, while "0005" fetched Rs.11.07 lakh. Similarly, "0010" earned Rs.10.17 lakh, "0006" was auctioned for Rs.7.02 lakh, "0003" fetched Rs.5.63 lakh, and "7777" was sold for Rs.5.26 lakh. What began as a niche trend among vehicle owners has evolved into a significant revenue stream for the Chandigarh Administration. Between 2020 and November 2025, auctions of fancy registration numbers have collectively generated over Rs.1,200 crore, making Chandigarh one of the country's most successful UTs in monetising premium vehicle numbers....