IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Reserved on: 08.08.2025 Pronounced on: 26.08.2025 Sanjay ….Petitioner versus Chandigarh Administration and others …Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK SIBAL HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE LAPITA BANERJI Present: Mr. Rahul Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Abhilaksh Grover, Advocate Ms. Ekakshra Mahajan Mandhar, Advocate for the respondents- Chandigarh Administration.

Deepak Sibal, J.

1. Through this petition challenge is made to the order dated 13.07.2022, passed by respondent No.3, to the extent of blacklisting the petitioner for a period of 05 years from participating in the e-tendering processes of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (for short – CTU) as well as all the Departments, Boards and Corporations within the purview of the Chandigarh Administration. Also under challenge is the order dated 18.07.2025, passed by respondent No.1, dismissing the petitioner’s appeal, filed by him against the afore referred order dated 13.07.2022.

2. The relevant facts giving rise to this petition are as follows:

i. Through an e-tender notice dated 08.02.2022 (for short –

NIT), CTU invited e-tenders for allotment of shops/ premises at the Inter State Bus Terminus, Sector 43, Chandigarh (for short – the ISBT). The allotment of the shops/ premises was to be on licence/ monthly rental basis for a period of 06 years. As per the NIT, each tenderer was required to submit his e-bid before March 01, 2022. The list of shops/premises for which bids were invited was appended with the NIT as Annexure-A. In the said annexure, against each premises, was given its size; monthly reserve price (excluding taxes) and the earnest money required to be deposited.

ii. The shop in question was for selling fresh fruit juice/ packed juice. It figured at serial No.6 in Annexure-A. Its given size was 14-16 feet x 7-8 feet; monthly reserve price was Rs.60,165/- and the earnest money required to be deposited was Rs.87,000/-.

iii. The petitioner submitted his online bid well in time. Against the reserve price of Rs.60,165/- his online monthly bid was Rs.6,11,186/-. He was the highest bidder. Therefore, through allotment letter dated 30.05.2022, which would have been served on him soon thereafter, the shop in question was allotted to the petitioner for which he was required to pay rent for the first year @ Rs.73,34,232/- and thereafter, for the next 05 years with an annual increase of

5%.

iv. On receipt of the allotment letter, the petitioner came to know that against the reserve price of Rs.60,165/- he had intended to submit his bid @ Rs.61,186/- but while filling his online bid one extra ‘1’ got punched and resultantly, his bid was entered @ Rs.6,11,186/-. Having realized his mistake with regard to punching in of a higher bid than he intended to, without delay, on 30.06.2022, he wrote to the Director, Transport, U.T., Chandigarh bringing to his notice the mistake committed by him and sought to withdraw from running the allotted shop. About the same time the petitioner was served with a letter dated 29.06.2022 through which the petitioner was directed to appear for personal hearing before respondent No.3 in connection with the cancellation of the allotment of the shop allotted to him.

v. Before respondent No.3 the petitioner reiterated his stand taken through his afore referred representation. What followed was an order dated 13.07.2022, passed by respondent No.3, as per which, since the petitioner had backed out after acceptance of his bid, as per clause 5 of the NIT dated 08.02.2022, not only was his allotment cancelled, his earnest money was forfeited and that he was also blacklisted for a period of 05 years from participation in the e-tendering processes of the CTU as well all other Departments, Boards and Corporations within the purview of the Chandigarh Administration.

vi. The petitioner immediately challenged the order passed by respondent No.3 through an appeal filed before respondent No.1, which after about 03