HC notice to TN on school bag tender violations

HC notice to TN on school bag tender violations

Chennai:  03.01.2021

A Haryana-based company has moved the Madras high court alleging irregularities in a tender floated by Tamil Nadu textbook corporation for purchase of school bags and shoes for government school students.

Admitting the plea, Justice Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy directed the state and the corporation to file their reply in two weeks.

According to the petitioner BNG Fashion Gears, though it was an eligible bidder and made the lowest bid in the tender, its bid was rejected without any reason. “Though we made multiple attempts to know the reason for the rejection, officials of the corporation failed to provide any valid reason,” the petitioner said.

Claiming the action of the authorities in rejecting its bid illegal, the petitioner said, a division bench of Supreme Court headed by Justice S K Kaul had made it clear that the tender-inviting authority is duty-bound to disclose the reason for rejection to the bidder. In the present case, the authorities have deliberately violated the same and refused to provide any justification for the rejection, the petitioner firm said. TNN