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IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL
RITU BAHRI, C.J., RAKESH THAPLIYAL, J
Leotronics Scales Private Ltd. – Appellant
Versus
Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board & Another - Respondents
Writ Petition (M/B) No. 458 of 2024
Decided on : 25-09-2024
(A) Tendering Process - Joint Venture Participation - The writ petition challenges the declaration of One Ton Scales Private Ltd. as L1 in a tender for operating weighbridges, arguing illegality in evaluating a joint venture bid. The court found that the joint venture met all necessary qualifications and experience as per the tender requirements. (Paras 1, 6, 32)
(B) Judicial Review - The court emphasized that it should exercise restraint in reviewing tender decisions unless there is clear evidence of mala fides or arbitrariness. (Paras 22, 32)
Facts of the case:
The petitioner contested the declaration of a joint venture as L1 in a tender for weighbridge operations, claiming the joint venture lacked necessary qualifications and experience. (Paras 1, 6)
Findings of Court:
The court upheld the declaration of the joint venture as L1, confirming it met all tender requirements and emphasizing the need for judicial restraint in tender matters. (Paras 32, 34)
Issues: The main issues included the legality of evaluating a joint venture bid and whether the joint venture met the tender requirements. (Paras 6, 32)
Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that the joint venture had the requisite experience and qualifications, and judicial review in tender matters should be limited to cases of clear arbitrariness or mala fides. (Paras 22, 32)
Result: Writ petition dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
The present writ petition has been preferred for challenging the order dated 31.08.2024 whereby the bid of respondent no. 2 i.e. One Ton Scales Private Ltd. has been declared as responsive.
2. The brief facts of the case are that a tender was floated by the respondent no. 1-The Managing Director of Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board, Rudrapur through NIT, whereby, the bids were invited for operation and maintenance of electronic weigh bridge of 50 metric capacity in Mandi Samitis of Uttarakhand and online publication of the tender was made on 05.08.2024. As per the bidding document, the bidder should enclose the documents, the details of which is specified in the tender, which are being extracted herein as below:
^^rduhdh fufonk
vfuok;Z layXu vfHkys[k%&
1- fufonk QkeZ&ewY :0 4720-00 th-,l-Vh- lfgr ¼cSad MªkV vFkok udn tek jksdM+ jlhn la0+----------------fnukad---------------½
2- QeZ dk jftLVªs'ku izek.k&i= ¼th-,l-Vh½A
3- vk;dj jftLVªs'ku dk izek.k&i= ¼iSu dh Nk;k izfr½A
4- laEcaf/kr miftykf/kdkjh }kjk tkjh gSfl;r izek.k i= :0 1-00 djksM+A
5- /kujkf'k :0 5-00 yk[k dh /kjksgj jkf'k mŸkjk[k.M d`f"k mRiknu foi.ku cksMZ ds uke ,QMhvkj ds #i esaA
6- fdlh ljdkjh@v/kZljdkjh dk;kZy;ksa esa 50 ,i0Vh0 {kerk ds os&fcztst lQyrkiwoZd lapkfyr o vuqj{k.k@j[kj[kko fd;s tkus ds lEcfU/kr de ls de rhu o"kksZa ds dk;Z djus dk vuqHko izek.k@lk{;A
7- fufonknkrk dks mŸkjk[k.M ljdkj ds v/khu eki&rksy foHkkx ls oS/k ykblsal ,oa fjisfjax dh Nk;k izfr;kaA
8- o"khZ; VuZ vksoj fiNys rhu lky dk :0 3-00 djksM+ ¼:0 rhu djksM+½ dk izek.k@lk{;A
9- :0 100 dk uku&TwfMfl;y LVkai isijA
10- mRrjk[k.M Je foHkkx ds lkFk iathdj.kA
11- bZih,Q ,oa mRrjk[k.M bZ,lvkbZ foHkkx esa iathdj.kA
12- fufonk izfd;k bZ&fufonk mRrjk[k.M vf/kizkfIr fu;ekoyh ds vuqlkj lEikfnr dh tk;saxhA /kjksgj jkf'k ¼cSad ls fuxZr ,Q0Mh0vkj tks ^^mRrjk[k.M d`f"k mRiknu foi.ku cksMZ] :nziqj m/ke flag uxj½** ds i{k esa ca/kd gksxh] dks layXu djuk vfuok;Z gSA fcuk /kjksgj /kujkf'k ds fufonk Lohdkj ugha dh tk;sxhA
lQy fufonknkrk dh /kjksgj jkf'k mudks lkSais x;s dk;ksZa o nkf;Roksa ds lQyrkiwoZd fuoZgu ds mijkar vuqca/k dh 'krksZa ds vuq:Ik okil dj nh tk;sxhA ijUrq lsok 'krksaZ ds vuqlkj larks"ktud dk;Z u ik;s tkus dh n'kk esa fdlh izdkj dk Hkqxrku mRrjk[k.M d`f"k foi.ku cksMZ] :nziqj }kjk ns; ugha gksxk rFkk QeZ dh tek /kjksgj jkf'k tCr dj nh tk;sxhA
Øe la0 01 ls 12 rd lHkh okafNr vfHkys[k rduhdh fufonk ds lkFk lyXu djuk vfuok;Z gksxk vU;Fkk fufonknkrk dk foŸkh; fufonk ugha [kksyh tk;sxh rFkk QeZ dks vik= le>k tk;sxkA bZ&Vs.Mj dh n'kk esa fnukad 19-08-2024 dh lk;% 5-00 cts rd fufonk 'kqYd ,oa /kjksgj jkf'k ewy :i ls funs'kky;] d`f"k mRiknu foi.ku cksMZ] e.Mh Hkou] :nziqj m/ke flag uxj esa tek fd;k tkuk vfuok;Z gksxk] budh Nk;k&izfr rduhdh fufonk ds lkFk viyksM dh tkuh vfuok;Z gksxh] vU;Fkk fufonk ugha [kkyh tk;sxhA
gLrk{kj
QeZ@vf/kd`r izfrfuf/k lhy
dEiuh dk uke^^
3. The aforesaid conditions further stipulates that if there any short fall of any documents then the bid of the said bidder shall not be opened and the will be deemed to be disqualified.
4. Apart from this, one another condition as per clause-6 of the NIT, provides that the bidder is required to have experience of operating, repair and maintenance of weighbridge. Apart from this there is one another condition as per Clause-11 that the bidder should be registered in the department of E.P.F. and Uttarakhand E.S.I.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner Mr. Shobhit Saharia submits that on 13.08.2024 a joint venture was formed between three legal persons namely “Aver India Equipments” which is a proprietorship firm of one Rupaben Kantilal of “Vilva International Private Limited”, which was constituted on 05.07.2024 and “One Ton Scales Private Limited”, which was constituted on 19.12.2022. Pursuant to the N.I.T. the petitioner as well as the private respondent and other bidders also participated and the petitioner and the respondent no. 2 both of them were declared technically qualified and after opening their financial bid the respondent no. 2 wa
AI
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