The Madras High Court on Monday closed a writ petition which alleged irregularities by the Public Works Department (PWD) in calling e-tenders for engaging contractors to quarry sand from Araniar river in Uthukottai village in Tiruvallur district.
The case was closed after government counsel claimed that the officials had decided to call for fresh tenders for the quarry site.
‘Favouring a select few’
Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu recorded the submission made on behalf of the PWD and said that no further orders need to be passed on the petition filed by Chennai-based real estate dealer D.J. Senthil Kumar. The petitioner had claimed that many businessmen like him were unable to submit the tenders through the e-tender facility which, he alleged, had been created to favour a few.
In his affidavit, the petitioner stated that he was a low-cost builder involved in providing affordable housing for the middle class. In order to ensure purchase of raw materials at bare minimum prices, he used to buy essential materials such as river sand directly from quarries operated by the PWD than depending upon resellers in the open market where the sand was sold at a premium.
However, recently, the PWD introduced e-tender system to engage contractors for quarrying as well as transporting the mineral. The Superintending Engineer of PWD had issued a notification on February 2 calling for submission of online tenders on or before March 9. However, despite best efforts, he claimed that he could not log into the e-tender page for reasons unknown.
“I enquired my business circle and came to know that they too faced the same problem. But a particular group of persons who are closely related to the ruling party had taken part in the e-tender and had succeeded in getting the contract for quarrying of sand from Arania river in Uthukottai village,” his affidavit read.
Contending that the e-tender process paves way for such irregularities, he claimed that permitting such a process to continue would only pave way for burdening the end consumer who would have to shell out more money to purchase sand. Therefore, he urged the court to quash the e-tender notification and consequently direct the PWD to call for fresh tenders.
