Here govt cars rust in peace, await auction

Old government cars cleared by the Transport Department for sale through auction have turned the spic and span Kumara Krupa Guest House into...

Old government cars cleared by the Transport Department for sale through auction have turned the spic and span Kumara Krupa Guest House into a junkyard.

A total of 43 abandoned cars, dumped behind the guest house, have been collecting grime, dirt and rust for the last six months, when by now they should have fetched a good price. These cars, which include five Ambassadors, a Premier NE 118 and 36 Contessas, are from government departments in the multi-storied building and Vidhana Soudha, and a few from the high court.

‘‘The cars which have covered a maximum distance of 1 lakh km and those which have undergone at least two major repairs have been certified as ‘‘condemned’’ by the RTO,’’ said officials at the Protocol Department.

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This Department is entrusted with the task of selling ‘‘condemned’’ vehicles in public auctions that ‘‘have been held once a year over the past 20-25 years’’. At last year’s auction, each Contessa was sold for Rs 35-40,000, while the going rate for an Ambassador was Rs 30,000.

The officials said they had submitted a proposal on the auction of these cars three months ago to Deputy Secretary (Protocol) V.G. Divakar and had also sent a clarification one-and-a-half months ago. They are now waiting for a decision on the auction date from the authorities .

But as memos and files fly back and forth, the cars have been abandoned carelessly in the open, without shelter or roof.