JUDGMENT :

The petitioners in the above two writ petitions are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as MSME). The petitioners are aggrieved by the implementation of the “Nilaavu” project by the respondents and the procuring of LED bulbs and other allied fixtures and fittings for street lighting in Local Self Government Institutions (LSGI for short) from agencies other than the petitioners and similarly placed MSMEs in the State. The project aims at replacing the conventional street lighting in all the LSGIs with LED lamps and the KSEB Ltd. was to be the special purpose vehicle for the project and the procurement of LED lights is to be through the 4th respondent. The issues involved in the writ petitions and the prayers made are similar and the writ petitions are being heard and disposed of together. The reference to Exhibits is, unless specified otherwise, as they appear in W.P.(C) No.5045 of 2021.

2. On 06.03.2014, the 1st respondent issued Exhibit P27 order whereby it was decided to replace the existing streetlights in the Municipalities in Kerala by LED lights, under a project called “Nagarajyothi”. A committee was formed to study and prepare a project repo