In a relief to a Chennai-based drone and different equipment supplier, a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court has allowed the corporate to submit its bid in a “sealed cover” in a view of a problem to a young strategy of a Maharashtra authorities entity.
The petitioner, Vishnusurya Projects & Infra Pvt. Ltd., had filed a writ petition within the HC alleging Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, an organization established and owned by Maharashtra and Yavatmal district in-charge of the company of indulging in restrictive practices in opposition to the “sprit of open tender.”
The district degree entity had invited bids for buy of 16 agricultural drones with a payload of 10 litres and the tender discover had a selected situation that required the vendor to be from Maharashtra state.
“This condition is anti-competitive and restrictive to bidders from outside Maharashtra to participate in the bid process and therefore the petitioner is not able to submit its bid,” the petition mentioned.
Justice Rohit B Deo and Justice Y.G. Khobragade of the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court in a latest order allowed the petitioner to submit its tender.
The choose held “We direct that the petitioner submits its bid, the same shall be accepted and kept in a sealed cover. The submission of the bid and further steps which may be taken pursuant to the tender notice [which has been challenged] subject to further orders.”
The HC has issued discover for remaining disposal of the case on March 9, 2023. The respondents have been requested to file their reply, if any, by March 3, 2023.
The petitioner has challenged the tender discover “as the conditions were so mentioned only to suit some chosen supplier and to eliminate competition from other suppliers operating in the country.”
Seeking to put aside the tender discover, the petitioner mentioned it was opposite to “public policy and interest of the Public Exchequer and therefore deserves to be quashed.”
“DGCA has approved only one model of drone with 10 litre capacity of only one company in the small category under 25 kg. The act of the respondents of mentioning the condition of 10 litre with small category and under 25 kg alone points out that the condition is being put to favour the only company and to keep away all suppliers,” the petition mentioned.
