APHC010102442025

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

AT AMARAVATI [3328]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

TUESDAY ,THE SIXTH DAY OF MAY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE

PRESENT

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHNA

PRASAD

WRIT PETITION NO: 5435 OF 2025

Between:

1. V IKRAM BOOK LINKS PRIVATE LIMITED, REP.BY. ITS

AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE, CIN. U22219AP2008PTC057907, PLOT.NO.1-12, RAMASWAMY TOWERS, YSR INNER RING ROAD, 0PP. AJITHSINGH NAGAR AREA, VIJAYAWADA, NTR DISTRICT, AP

- 520015.

2. . R.SRINIVAS VIKRAM, , S/O. RAVIKRINDI RAMASWAMY, AGE 45

YEARS, OCC AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE - CUM - CHIEFEXECUTIVE OFFICER. M/S. VIKRAM BOOK LINKS PRIVATE LIMITED, OFFICE AT PLOT.NO.1-12, RAMASWAMY TOWERS, YSR INNER RING ROAD, 0PP. AJITHSINGH NAGAR AREA,

VIJAYAWADA, NTR DISTRICT, AP - 520015.

...PETITIONER(S)

AND

1. T HE STATE OF AP, REP.BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY,

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION, SECRETARIAT BUILDINGS, VELAGAPUDI VILLAGE, TULLUR MANDAL-GUNTUR

DISTRIC ANDHRA PRADESH.

2. T HE COMMISSIONER OF SCHOOL EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF

SCHOOL EDUCATION, ANDHRA PRADESH, D.NO.398/3, VIDYA BHAVAN, VENKATADIRI TOWERS, ATMAKUR(V) MANGALAGIRI(M),

GUNTUR DISTRICT -522503.

3. T HE DIRECTOR, ANDHRA PRADESH GOVERNMENT TEXTBOOK PRESS, DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION, ANDHRA PRADESH 5TH FLOOR, VIDHYA BHAVAN, ATMAKURU, MANGALAGIRI, GUNTUR DISRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH.

4. E PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, IT, E AND C, DEPARTMENT, REPRESENTED BY ITS DIRECTOR, SECRETARIAT BUILDINGS, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATI GUNTUR DISTRICT.

...RESPONDENT(S):

Counsel for the Petitioner(S):

1. TAGORE YADAV YARAGORLA Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1 GP FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION .

The Court made the following ORDER:

Heard Sri Y. Tagore Yadav, Ld. Counsel for the Writ Petitioners and Sri G. Rama Chandra Rao, Ld. Government Pleader for Education for the Responents.

2. The present Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief:

“It is humbly prayed that this Hon‟ble Court may be pleased to issue a Writ or order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus:

i. Declaring the impugned Tender Notification Rc.No.109/T2/2025 dated 18.02.2025 issued by the Respondent/s herein is illegal, Arbitrary, violative of principles of natural justice, Contrary to the A.P. Financial Code and General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017 apart from Article 14, 19 (1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950 and Consequently, to set-aside/quash the Notification Rc.No.109/T2/2025 dated 18.02.2025;

ii. Declaring that the failure to conduct a pre-bid meeting in the impugned tender notification Rc.No.109/T2/2025 dated 18.02.2025 is violation of the principles of natural justice, transparency and fair competition in public procurement and consequently, direct the respondents to hold a pre-bid meeting;

iii. and allow bidders to submit revised bids after addressing their concerns.

AND consequently direct the Respondent Authorities to ensure to have wider participation at par with the neighbouring states while having sufficient securities in place in order to achieve affordable education and fair and transparent policy to keep majority of the serious publishers within the zone of eligibility so as to have timely and effective supply of books to the needy students AND/OR to pass such other order or orders as this Hon‟ble court may deem fit and proper in the interest of justice.”

The facts as presented by the Writ Petitioner are that:

3. The Writ Petitioners are the Printers and Suppliers of the Textbooks to various State Governments. The Writ Petitioner No.1, through Writ Petitioner No.2, had been printing and supplying the Textbooks to the Department of Education for supply of Textbooks to the schools in the state.

4. The Director, Andhra Pradesh Government Textbooks Press (Respondent No.3) has issued a Tender Notification bearing Notification vide Rc.No.109/T2/2025, dated 18.02.2025 (Ex.P.1) calling for “Expression of Interest (EoI)” for Empanelment of Printers/Publishers/Book Distributors of Andhra Pradesh for printing and distributi