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2015 Supreme(Bom) 513

In the High Court of Bombay at Nagpur
B.P. DHARMADHIKARI & S.B. SHUKRE, JJ.
Padgilwar Agro Industries – Appellant
Versus
The Director, Directorate of Sericulture, Government of Maharashtra & Others –Respondent
Writ Petition No. 789 of 2015
Decided On : 09-04-2015

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner:R.S. Parsodkar, Advocate.
For the Respondents:R1 & R2, B.H. Dangre, Govt. Pleader, R3, A.V. Muley, Advocate.

Headnote:Constitution of India - Articles 14 and 299 Tenders. - Where commercial bid of respondent was lower than that of petitioner therefore acceptance of respondent’s tender unjustified. It is a well-settled rule of administrative law that an executive authority must be rigorously held to the standards by which it professes its actions to be judged and it must scrupulously observe those standards on pain of invalidation of an act in violation of them.

       The respondent Nos. 1 and 2 did not refuse to consider the bid of petitioner, but, have treated it as a valid commercial offer. Therefore only, they compared it with bid of respondent No. 3. They also reach the conclusion that bid of the respondent No. 3 is lower than that of petitioner. While undertaking this exercise, it was aware of the technical factors that needed a look before holding any pruner to be technically sound. It was also alive to the test reports of petitioner and hence of the fact that commercial test report of the respondent No. 3 is technically incomplete. It could not have therefore treated the offer of the respondent No. 3 as suitable offer. Being "State" within Article 12 of the Constitution of India, and also bound to take every such step in the public interest it should have called upon the respondent No. 3 to submit the commercial test report also under the heads on which it could scrutinize the pruner of the petitioner.

       It cannot escape this responsibility under the pretext that there are no ISI or other well-settled accepted norms for said machine. Such a self serving plea may at times indicate lack of bona fides. It has deviated from the right perspective in the matter. Respondent Nos. 1 and 2 who are executing the welfare measure that too, in favour of agriculturist class on one hand and manufacturers of pruner or brush cutting machines like the petitioner or respondent No. 3 who operate commercially on the other hand cannot come together and force wrong appliances on farmers.

Judgment :-

B.P. Dharmadhikari, J.

1. By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the Petitioner seeks a writ to set aside acceptance of bid of respondent no.3 by the respondent nos.1 and 2 on the ground that said respondent no.3 does not fulfill essential conditions of the tender invitation with further prayer to direct respondent nos. 1 and 2 to issue work order to the petitioner. The E-tenders were invited for Engine oriented Mulberry Pruner/ shoot/Brush cutting machine. On 13,02.2015, while issuing notice to the respondents, this Court prohibited issuance of work order. Matter has been heard finally on 27.03.2015, and considering the fact that the pruners are meant for farmers and approaching financial year end, we have passed suitable interim orders to see that the grants do not lapse.

2. Considering the nature of controversy and with consent of all the parties, we have heard the matter finally by issuing “Rule” and making it returnable forthwith. We have heard Shri R.S. Parsodkar, learned Counsel for the petitioner, Mrs. B.H. Dangre, learned Government Pleader for Respondent nos. 1 and 2 and Shri A.V. Muley, learned Counsel for the Respondent no.3.

3. Shri Parsodkar, has urged that the sample of pruner was to be submitted to Directorate of Sericulture on 04.02.2015 with commercial test report of the Central Government or recognized institute, any agriculture University of India or State Government Recognized Institute. Petitioner complied with this mandatory condition while respondent No. 3 did not have such test report. It only submitted a physical report dated 28.01.2015 of Manufacturer and a practical field test report dated 24.01.2011 of Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi. The later report is also not a commercial test report but, it is more on the trial on land and not on performance or working of machine under all parameters. The report dated 28.01.2015 only points out the length, speed in RPM and maximum sound power level. Petitioner gave the requisite report as per clause 7 of the Annexure-A i.e., technical bid. As respondent No.3 could not comply with this mandatory term, petitioner raised an objection on 06.02.2015, but, that has not been looked into and respondent Nos. 1 and 2 have attempted to fabricate its receipt on 11.02.2015. Date 06.02.2015, put on it by petitioner has been scored off and inward entry is alleged to be made on 13.02.2015. Attention is also invited to commercial test report submitted by the petitioner to point out how various parameters are required to be applied. Appreciation of those details by the respondent Nos. 1 and 2, as seen in para 10 of reply affidavit of respondent Nos. 1 and 2 is also pressed into service with the contention that such an application of mind, qua the pruner of respondent No.3 is not possible in absence of relevant data. It is stated that the respondent Nos. 1 and 2 have found pruner of petitioner technically sound and hence, work order be issued to it by revoking the same issued to respondent No.3. Support is drawn from the rejoinder filed by the petitioner on 118.3.2015, particularly its para 12.

4. Learned Government Pleader appearing on behalf of respondent Nos. 1 and 2 invites attention to stand of said respondents in affidavit in reply. She pleads that perusal of test reports, particularly item nos. 11 to 13 show that petitioner itself did not meet all the technical requirements. Commercial test report submitted by the petitioner is relied upon to demonstrate that his pruner does not comply with the prescribed parameters. Respondent No.3 submitted necessary commercial test report online.

She states that as there are no ISI specifications or any standard parameters for uniform testing, the test report dated 24.01.2011 furnished by respondent No.3 needs to be accepted and has been accordingly accepted and acted upon. Though the commercial test reports of petitioner were not up to the mark, the pruner of the petitioner was not rejected and it

























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