Chennai: The Madras high court has set aside a tender notification issued by the public works department, introducing the package system of tenders in the state of Tamil Nadu for the first time in 2018 seeking to award several contractual tender works to one person instead of giving one work or two works.
Justice T.Raja set aside the tender notification dated March 21, 2018, while allowing a batch of petitions from M/s Sri Sivasakthi Associates and others, challenging the tender notification.
According to petitioner, the PWD issued tender notifications twice and cancelled the same for the purpose of introducing for the first time package tender system without following any government order as well as statutory rules and it was aimed to help only big contractors supporting only politically influential persons having monopoly in the contract work.
The PWD issued the impugned notification, inviting tenders for construction of school building, Annai Sathya Memorial Children's Home, Office building for Joint Chief Environmental Engineer and building for Sub-Registrar Office with the total value of package at Rs 1,605 lakh. It also issued another tender notification on the same day for 8 works as package. When there were 3,000 registered contractors, 25,000 civil engineers and their workers and subordinates working under them, only 10 contractors were going to be finalised by giving all the works to them all over the state, they added.
