Kochi: Kerala High Court has asked the Central Public Works Department to open the financial bids of all participants, who had applied for constructing various buildings for the Aligarh Muslim University centre at Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, irrespective of the points scored by them in the technical bid.
The process has to be completed in three months. Justice A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai observed that designing a university was a very serious matter affecting the moulding of the nation’s younger generation.
A lot of thinking in the design was required before it was finally presented for evaluation. It was not simple as giving consultancy for constructing a compound wall, a staff quarters or even a library building, he said.
The court was considering a plea filed by Rohini Prasad and Associates, Kochi, and three others alleging manipulation in the selection process.
The court also directed to award the consultancy services to the participants who scored the maximum overall marks in the technical and financial bids taken together.
The court observed that the rejection of bids by Rohini Prasad and Associates and TAC-K, the architect consortium, Kottayam, and the selection process as well as the notification were not fair.
The plan was to set up a world class campus for the university centre in 302 acres and the approximate estimate of the project is Rs 100 crore for the first phase.
The petitioners argued that they had applied for the bid and were included in the 10 shortlisted participants, but their financial bids were not opened.
They alleged manipulation and submitted that the CPWD chief engineer had made unauthorised corrections in the mark sheets prepared by the members of the technical committee.
