JUDGMENT :

Heard Mr. K.N. Choudhury, learned Sr. counsel assisted by Mr. M. Phukan, learned counsel for the petitioner. I have also heard Mr. D. Saikia, learned Sr. Addl. Advocate General, Assam assisted by Mr. B. Gogoi, learned counsel appearing for the respondents.

2. In this writ petition, the order dated 21-11-2015 issued by the Addl. Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Soil Conservation Department, rejecting the claim of the writ petitioner for payment of an amount of Rs. 6.39 Crores against the 4745 Centrifugal Pumps supplied by it, has been put under challenge.

3. The facts giving rise to the institution of this proceeding, as projected in the writ petition, briefly stated, are these. The writ petitioner is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 having its registered office at Naroda Road, Ahmedabad. The petitioner company (formerly known as M/s Mira Industries) is engaged in the business of manufacturing various models of Centrifugal Pumps under the brand name ‘Lubi’. The Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India had formulated a programme in the name of “Integrated Watershed Management Programme” (IWMP) with the objective of restoring the ecological ba