Reminding of the permit-quota raj of the seventies and eighties, the BJP on Sunday, demanded that the Tatas ensure preference to the low-income group, in bookings for the Rs one lakh ?Nano? by blocking units for them, thus preventing rich people from grabbing the cheapest car.
Apprehending black marketing of the Nano by ?rich agents?, which would defeat the very purpose of bringing the four-wheeler in the market, national secretary of the saffron party Vijay Goel, in a letter to Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata, has asked the company to take some precautionary measures while booking the cars, to avoid black marketing and hoarding. He suggested that preference should be given to the lower income group, after the commericial launch of the vehicle.
?My fear is that at the time of booking, it is possible that the richer agents of the black market may book the car or even someone, who can afford a bigger one, may block the car from reaching the target consumer,? the former Union minister said. To prevent such movements in the market, he suggested a fixed quota for the lower income group people. He also said that asking for income tax return or some other proof at the time of booking could help in identifying the income class of the consumer.
Tata Motors on January 10 had unveiled its much-awaited small car, which has been positioned as an affordable personal mode of transport for the people, who travel on two- wheelers.
The cheapest car in the world ?Tata Nano?, which has caught the imagination of the people during the 9th Auto Expo, will be commercially launched in the second quarter of this fiscal. It has also inspired many global companies, including Renault and Hyundai, to plan low- cost cars for the Indian market.