Two of the seven Tata Nanos that rolled out in Siliguri on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Aug. 31: Partha Paul of Khelaghor More was the happiest man today. He is the first person in the region (which also includes Sikkim) to hit the streets with a Tata Nano LX.

After a patient wait for over three months, Paul, a contractor by profession, along with six others, were handed over the keys of the world’s cheapest car at the local showroom of Tata Motors this afternoon.

“I have a Maruti Zen. As a second car, I preferred Nano for it is cheap and for the unprecedented hype that the four-wheeler got in India and across the globe,” said a jubilant Paul as his car rolled down to the road off the ramp of the showroom amid claps.

“However, it would have been better if the Nano I got today was from Singur. It would have been a different feeling to drive a car made in your own state,” he said.

On the speculation whether Nano would run on the steep hill terrain, Paul said: “I was told by people at the showroom that the vehicle would easily go up the hills.”

About 100 people, including the seven customers, their friends and relatives, added with enthusiasts, swarmed the Tata Motors showroom, to catch a glimpse of the vehicles which queued up one after another with names of the owners pasted on the windscreens.

Among the seven who got the car today, six are from Siliguri. Shibshankar Sen, a wholesaler of medicines, is the only one from Jalpaiguri. Sen currently enjoys the privilege to be called the sole Nano owner from Jalpaiguri district. “Had it been manufactured in Singur, the price would have been less in all three variants of Nano,” he said. “We took the car as it is fit for a middle class family and can fulfil our aspiration to own a four-wheeler.”

The “aam admi” appeal seems to be another key point behind the sale, as Ashok Sharma, an insurance agent from Agrasen Road in Khalpara and the fourth owner, said. “My family owns a car but this is my first personal car. Nano is for the common man who always wanted to have a car but could not afford one. The vehicle, as Ratan Tata had said, truly meets the demands of middle class people like me,” Sharma said.

“Ever since I had booked the vehicle three months ago, every member of my family had been eagerly waiting for the delivery and finally, I have the keys with me today,” he added.

On NH31, many people stopped their cars to watch the differently coloured Nanos whizzing out of the showroom located along the national highway.

However, the dealer failed to provide figures like how many people had booked the Nano in the region. “We can simply say that it is overwhelming,” he said. Unconfirmed sources said around 300 bookings have been made with the dealer so far.