JUDGMENT :

Heard Mr. K. N. Choudhury, the learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. M. Mahanta, the learned counsel for the petitioner in WP(C) No.1466/2023 and Mr. P. K. Munir, the learned counsel for the petitioner in WP(C) No.1737/2023. I have also heard Mr. D. Gogoi and Mr. I. Borthakur, the learned counsels appearing on behalf of the Forest Department of the Government of Assam as well as Mr. D. Das, the learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. S. Khound, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the private respondents.

2. Both the writ petitions are taken up together taking into account that both the writ petitions are in relation to the Long E-Auction Notice dated 07.06.2021 and the petitioners herein have assailed the order dated 08.02.2023 whereby the bids of the petitioners in both the writ petitions have been rejected on the ground of failing in the technical bid.

3. The facts involved in both the writ petitions are pari-materia for which this Court finds it relevant to take note of the facts involved in WP(C) No.1466/2023 and while doing so, this Court had also duly taken note of the differences in the facts in WP(C) No.1737/2023 as would be seen infra.

4. The Divisional Fores