Trees kept for auction gutted

PUDUCHERRY: The government suffered a loss of revenue after trees, which fell during cyclone Thane,being kept for auction at the old port were destroyed in a fire on Saturday evening. The PWD which was expecting around Rs four lakh  from the sale of these trees has lost at least half the number. Fire tenders, at time of going to press, were still battling the blaze.The PWD had conducted an auction on January 11, where 21 timber merchants had participated by depositing Rs 1000. However, the auction fetched only Rs 39,000. PWD, shocked about the value at which it was sold, cancelled the auction and repaid the deposit, but not before an altercation between PWD and the timber merchants took place.