Patna, Dec. 28: The Union government has succeeded in preventing the proposed auction of a Rolex gold watch, originally owned by the first President, Rajendra Prasad.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has informed Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar about the development in a letter recently.

The auction was supposed to take place in Geneva on November 13.

“The ministry of culture and that of the external affairs have taken action, succeeding in putting off the auction of the watch which was proposed to be held on November 13,” the Prime Minister wrote to the CM.

Singh also informed Nitish that he had asked the ministries concerned to pursue the matter and be in touch with Rajendra Prasad’s family. The President was from Zeeradei village in north Bihar’s Siwan district.

Earlier, through a letter, Nitish had drawn the Prime Minister’s attention to a news report about Rajendra Prasad’s Rolex gold wristwatch being auctioned in Geneva.