The Madras High Court has said the Tamil Nadu government should decide, within a month, why it should not have a consistent policy for the e-tendering system.
The First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan passed the order on a petition by B. Krishnaveni of Tindivanam in Villupuram district.
The petitioner said she was a Class I registered contractor for government works. On September 25, the Superintending Engineer, Highways (Construction and Maintenance), Villupuram, issued a tender notification for laying and repairing roads and constructing bridges in Tindivanam, Villupuram, Gingee and Vanoor.
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When the National Highways issued only e-tenders, the State Highways Department was asking contractors to submit bids in sealed covers, a method that gave room for malpractices in finalising the tender and allotting contracts. She sought a directive to the authorities to follow e-tender for the notification. The practice should be followed in future tenders, too.