IN THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
MICHAEL ZOTHANKHUMA
Progressive Enterprises – Appellant
Versus
State Of Assam – Respondent
JUDGMENT :
MICHAEL ZOTHANKHUMA, J.
1. Heard Mr. A Sarma, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. B Gogoi, learned Standing Counsel, Health Department as well as Mr. PP Dutta, learned counsel for the respondent No. 7.
2. The petitioner has put to challenge the rejection of the petitioner’s technical bid by the State respondents. The respondent No. 7 has also been declared to be the lowest bidder (L1) by the State respondents, pursuant to the NIT dated 08.01.2025 for supply of Cardiac Monitor with Defibrillator (Q2).
3. The petitioner’s case is that subsequent to the opening of the technical bids on 11.02.2025, the petitioner had been sent an email dated 11.02.2025 requesting for providing the following documents:- 1. Conformity to Manufactures Certification-ISO 9001 & IS0 13485, 2. ECG monitoring- Using 5/6 lead, 3. Bidder Average Turn Over Certificate from CA (last 3 years)-2 Cr, 4. Bidder/OEM (themselves or through resellers) Past Experience (3 Year), 5. USFDA/EU/CE ISO 9001:2015, 13485:2016 Certificate, 6. Declaration for spare part availability, 7. Bidder financial standing certificate.
4. The petitioner thereafter supplied the documents as required in the clarification on
Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. Vs. Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. & Another
Tenderers must comply strictly with bid specifications; non-compliance can justify rejection of technical bids.
Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are exempt from submitting prior turnover documents in public procurement, ensuring equal treatment in tender evaluations.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for bidders to comply with the bidding documents, including the submission of documents in the specified format. The judgment empha....
The exemption for Micro and Small Enterprises does not apply to the submission of Annual Audited Reports and Income Tax Returns as required by the NIT.
The court upheld the rejection of the petitioner's technical bid due to failure to meet registration requirements, emphasizing limited grounds for judicial review.
MSEs with valid Udyam Registration are exempt from turnover and experience criteria in bidding processes as per applicable regulations, and arbitrary disqualification on these grounds is unlawful.
Compliance with bidding conditions, specifically the demonstration of minimum average turnover, is crucial for the acceptance of bids in public procurement processes.
Judicial review in tender matters is limited to assessing procedural fairness, not the merits of the tender conditions, which are determined by the tendering authority.
The court upheld the tendering authority's discretion in setting eligibility criteria, emphasizing limited judicial review focused on procedural fairness rather than the merits of the decision.
The court upheld the validity of tender disqualification based on non-compliance with specified documentation requirements, affirming the decision-making integrity of the evaluation committee.
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