JUDGMENT

Arijit Pasayat, J. — These three writ petitions, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, 1950 (in short the Constitution), question legality of certain terms in inviting offers for implementation of the scheme called the "Detailed Scheme for Capacity Building of Self Help Groups to Prepare and Supply Supplementary Nutrition under the Integrated Child Development Service (in short the ICDS) Programme."

2. By order dated 7.10.2004 in Writ Petition (C) No. 196 of 2001 (Peoples Union for Liberties v. Union of India and Others) this Court observed as under :-

"We have gone through the fifth (August, 2004) report of the Commissioners x x x. Further, the problem of using contractors for procurement has also been mentioned in the report suggesting that it should be done by agencies and officers at the government level."

The following directions were issued:

"The contractors shall not be used for supply of nutrition in Anganwadis and preferably ICDS funds shall be spent by making use of village communities, self-help groups and Mahila Mandals for buying of grains and preparation of meals."

3. ICDS is perhaps the largest of all the food and supplementation programmes in the