IN THE HIGH COURT OF GAUHATI, ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH
DEVASHIS BARUAH, J.
Md. Jiyaur Pasa S/o Late Salim Pasa – Petitioner
Versus
The State of Assam and Others – Respondents
W.P. (C) Nos. 2495, 2525, 2626, 2656, 2674, 7371 of 2021, W.P. (C) Nos. 41, 54, 5152, 5562, 6059, 6062, 6157 of 2022, I.A. (Civil) No. 1683 of 2021
Decided On : 07-02-2023
Civil Procedure Code,1908 - Notice inviting tender - Eligible contractors - Maintenance - Lowest bidder - Letter of Acceptance - Whether on basis of Communication issued by Director (RC) Government of India Ministry of Rural Development that respondent State had taken any action as additional affidavit - Held, Petitioners have also submitted performance security which was duly received by respondents/PWRD Department - He referred to Instructions to Bidder and submitted that notification of award will constitute formation of contract subject only to furnishing of a performance security in accordance with provisions - He therefore submitted that with submission of performance security pursuant to notification of award of contract by letter of acceptance contract have already been formed and accordingly petitioners are entitled to amount of work they have completed - Writ Petitions Disposed off
JUDGMENT :
DEVASHIS BARUAH, J.
1. Heard Md. S. Hoque, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of Md. Jiyaur Pasa, who is the writ petitioner in W.P. (C) No. 2674/2021 in W.P. (C) No. 2525/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2494/2021,W.P. (C) No. 2626/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2656/2021, W.P. (C) No. 5038/2022, W.P. (C) No. 5562/2022, W.P. (C) No. 6059/2022, W.P. (C) No. 6062/2022 and W.P. (C) No. 6157/2022. The learned counsel also appears for the private respondent No. 8 in W.P. (C) No. 7371/2021, W.P. (C) No. 41/2022 and W.P. (C) No. 54/2022. I have also heard Mr. M. Dutta, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2674/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2525/2020, W.P. (C) No. 2626/2021 and W.P. (C) No. 2656/2021 He further appears for the writ petitioners in W.P. (C) No. 7371/2021, W.P. (C) No. 41/2022 and W.P. (C) No. 54/2022. Mr. M. Dutta also appears for the private respondent No. 7 in W.P. (C) No. 5038/2022, W.P. (C) No. 5562/2022, W.P. (C) No. 6062/2022 and W.P. (C) No. 6157/2022. I have also heard Mr. A.C. Sarma, the learned senior counsel assisted by G.Bharadwaj, the learned counsel for the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2495/2021 and the Respondent No. 7 in W.P. (C) No. 6059/2022. Mr. B. Gogoi, the learned Standing Counsel appears on behalf of the PWRD and Mr. R.K.D. Choudhury, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India and Mr. A.K. Dutta, learned Asstt. Solicitor General of India for the Central Government and the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency.
2. The Chief Engineer, Public Works Roads Department, Government of Assam had issued a notice inviting tender in electronic tendering system for construction of Roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna for the works mentioned in the E-Notice Inviting Tender including their maintenance for 5 years from approved eligible contractors registered with the Assam Public Works (Roads) Department. The petitioner Md. Jiyaur Pasa had submitted his bids in pursuance to the said E-Notice Inviting Tender in respect to various packages including the packages being numbered as AS-20-185, AS-20-189, AS-20-194, AS-20-198 and AS-20-199. It is also relevant to take note of that various tenderers also participated in the said tender process. In all the packages mentioned hereinabove, the petitioner Md. Jiyaur Pasa admittedly was found to be technically qualified and the rate quoted by the petitioner-Md. Jiyuar Pasa were found to be lowest. However, the respondent authorities in respect to Packages No. AS-20-198 awarded the contract to the one Shri Bikash Sarma, the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2674/2021; in respect to package No. AS-20-185 awarded the contract to one Sri Sailen Baishya, the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2495/2021; in respect to package No. AS-20-189 awarded the contract to one M/S Sunrise Enterprise, the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2525/2021; in respect to package No. AS-20-194 awarded the contract to one Md. Mahsen Ali, the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2626/2021 and in respect to Package No. AS-20-199, the contract was awarded to M/s Sunrise Enterprise, the respondent No. 5 in W.P. (C) No. 2656/2021.
3. It is the case of petitioner-Md. Jiyuar Pasa that he being the lowest bidder and being technically qualified the contract in respect to the said packages ought to have been awarded to him for which he filed writ petitions being W.P. (C) No. 2674/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2495/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2525/2021, W.P. (C) No. 2626/2021 and W.P. (C) No. 2656/2021 challenging the actions of the Respondent Authorities in awarding the contracts to the second lowest bidder i.e. the respondent No. 5 in the above mentioned writ petitions. Before further proceeding, let this Court deal with each of the writ petitions:
W.P. (C) No. 2674/2021
(i) This writ petition relates to Package No. AS-20-198. Both the writ petitioners and the respondent No. 5 were found to be technically qualified by the Technical Committee. The Petitioner was the lowest bidder but the contra
The court emphasized the need for fairness and transparency in the tender process and held that the principles of judicial review apply to prevent arbitrariness or favoritism in the exercise of contr....
In tender matters, judicial review is limited; courts defer to tender authority's bid responsiveness assessment unless arbitrary, mala fide or perverse, prioritizing public interest in infrastructure....
Judicial review in tender matters limited to arbitrariness or mala fides; courts defer to authority's bid compliance assessment, refusing substitution unless perverse.
The court ruled that bids below the justified rate are non-responsive, emphasizing judicial respect for expert evaluations in tendering processes.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for recording reasons for peculiar situations and special circumstances in awarding contracts, as mandated by the communication dat....
The rejection of bids by public authorities must adhere to the principles of fairness, reasonableness, and non-arbitrariness as mandated by Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
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