Jawahar Lal Yadav v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.9710 of 2023 ====================================================== Jawahar Lal Yadav Son of Hari Kisun Yadav, Resident at Village- Paut, P.O.- Agarsanda, P.s. Arrah Muffasil, District- Bhojpur. ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar through Principal Secretary, Rural Works Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

2.

The Principal Secretary, Rural Works Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

3.

The Engineer-in-Chief, Rural Works Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

4.

The Project Director, MMGSY, Patna, Bihar.

5.

The Chief Engineer-2 Rural Works Department, Patna Bihar. 6.

The Superintending Engineer, Rural Works Department, Work Division, Purnea, Bihar.

7.

The Executive Engineer, Rural Works Department, Work Division, Barsoi, Bihar.

... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Ashish Giri, Advocate Mr. Sumit Kr. Jha, Advocate Ms. Riya Giri, Advocate Mr. Bivutosh Kumar, Advocate For the Respondent/s :

Mr. Ajay Behari Sinha ( GA- 8 ) Mr. Upendra Kumar Singh, AC to GA-8 ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR JHA ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 21-08-2023 Heard learned counsels for the parties.

2. In the instant petition, petitioner has prayed for following reliefs:- "i) To issue a writ/ order/ direction in the nature of certiorari to set aside order contained in Memo No. 967 dt.

2/5 02.06.2023 issued under the signature of Engineer-in-Chief, Rural Works Department by which the petitioner has been disqualified from the technical bid for the reason that in the character certificate issued by the S.P. Bhojpur (Ara) there are some allegations against the petitioner as per the Indian Penal Code and the matter is under consideration in Hon'ble Court, hence disqualified as per the clause- 3 of the NIT.

ii) To hold and declare that the action of Respondent authorities in disqualifying the petitioner vide Memo No.

967 dt. 02.06.2023 issued under the signature of Engineer-in-Chief, Rural Works Department from technical bid is arbitrary, malafide, perverse and not sustainable in the eye of law.

iii) To issue a writ/ order/ direction in the nature of Mandamus, directing the respondents authorities to declare the petitioner technically qualified in relation to the present NIT in relation to Work Division, Barsoi bearing Package No.

MMGSY- NDB-BRRP-421-Barsoi under MMGSY Scheme issued by the Respondent Rural Work Department and further for opening of financial bid of the petitioner prior to finalizing the tender.

iv) To pass interim/exparte interim direction to the respondents to consider the financial bid of the petitioner subject to the result of the present writ application. Further order restraining the respondents from finalizing the tender in question and/or no final contract be awarded in relation to Work Division, Barsoi bearing Package No. MMGSY- NDB-BRRP-421Barsoi under MMGSY Scheme (Sl. No. 7) issued by the Respondent Rural Work Department.

v) To issue a writ/ order/ direction in the nature of Mandamus directing the respondents authorities to let the

3/5 petitioner participate in the financial bid.

vi) To any other relief or reliefs for which the petitioner is found to be entitled in the facts and circumstances of the case."

3. Core issue involved in the present lis is whether petitioner is ineligible to participate in tender process on the score that he is facing criminal proceedings but not convicted. In the tender notification, respondents have informed the respective bidders that they are going to follow Chief Secretary's communication dated 25.01.2021 insofar as award of contract to such of those contractors who have clean records. In this regard, it is necessary to re-produce communication dated 25.01.2021, vide Annexure- 3 series, which reads as under:- "

सभीसमबनननतपदाo कोतुरनतअनुपालन हेतुमेरेसतरसेएक पतत्रांक 01/ अ०मु०स०को०/2021/54/29/अ०मु०स०को० पत ननरतकरनेहेतुपप्रार पदे। नबहारसरकार OSD / अभभि पमुख रृहनवभार प्रेषक, संख्यप्रा-508 आभमर समुबहप्राननी अपर मुख्य सभचिव । सेवामे, पुनलसमहाननदेशक, नबहार सभीनवभार/ नवभाराधयक, नबहार सभी पमसंडलनीय आयमुक्त / भजिलप्रा पदप्राभधिकप्रारनी, भबहप्रार। पटनानदनांक25 जनवरी2021 नवषय:- भवभभिन्न सरकप्रारनी भवभिप्रागग/भनगमग/भनकप्रायग में संभवदप्रा /ठप्रेकप्रा पर कप्राम लप्रेनप्रे हप्रेतमु चिभरत सत्यप्रापन कनी अभनवप्रायर्यतप्रा कप्रे भवषय में। महाशय, रप्राज्य कप्रे अन्तगर्यत भवभभिन्न भवभिप्राग / भनगम / भनकप्राय अपनप्रे स्तर

4/5 सप्रे भनभवदप्रा सूचिनप्रा भनगर्यत कर भवभभिन्न पकप्रार कप्रे कप्रायरसं कको संभवदप्रा / ठप्रेकप्रा कप्रे आधिप्रार पर सक्षम एवसं समुयकोग्य व्यभक्तयग / संस्थप्रानग कप्रे मप्राध्यम सप्रे सम्पन्न करप्रातप्रे हैं। भवभधि-व्यवस्थप्रा एवसं लकोक व्यवस्थप्रा बनप्राए रखनप्रे हप्रेतमु आवश्यक ह भक इन कप्रायरसं कको सम्पप्राभदत करनप्रे वप्रालप्रे व्यभक्त तथप्रा उनकप्रे कमर्यचिप्रारनी स्वच्छ चिभरत कप्रे हग तथप्रा उनकप्रा आपरप्राभधिक इभतहप्रास नहहीं रहप्रा हको। इस संबसंधि में कमुछ पकप्रार कप्रे कप्रायरसं कको आवसंभटित करनप्रे कप्रे पसूवर्य चिभरत पमप्राणपत पप्राप्त करनप्रे कनी व्यवस्थप्रा भिनी ह परन्तमु इसमें एकरपतप्रा लप्रानप्रे तथप्रा इसकको द ढ़तप्रा सप्रे पप्रालन करप्रानप्रे कनी आवश्यकतप्रा महसूस कनी जिप्रा रहनी ह। पमुभलस कप्रे दप्रारप्रा चिभरत पमप्राणपत भनगर्यत करनप्रे कनी वतर्यमप्रान पभक्रियप्रा कको और भिनी समुचिप्रार बनप्रानप्रे हप्रेतमु अलग सप्रे कप्रार्यवप्राई पभक्रियप्राधिनीन ह। 2- अततः उपरकोक्त कप्रे आलकोक में भनम्नभलभखत भनदप्रेश भदयप्रे जिप्रातप्रे ह:- क) सभिनी सरकप्रारनी भवभिप्राग / भनगम / भनकप्राय अपनप्रे अधिनीन उपरकोक्त पकप्रार कप्रे कप्रायरसं कप्रे सम्पप्रादन हप्रेतमु भनभवदप्रा कप्रे मप्राध्यम सप्रे कप्रायर्य आवसंभटित करतप्रे हैं, उन कप्रायरसं कप्रा आवसंटिन भनभवदप्रा कप्रे मप्राध्यम सप्रे पप्राप्त करनप्रे वप्रालप्रे व्यभक्तयग सप्रे भजिलप्रा पमुभलस कप्रे दप्रारप्रा भनगर्यत चिभरत पमप्राणपत आवश्य पप्राप्त भकयप्रा जिप्राएगप्रा जिको कप्रायर्य पसूवर्य सप्रे आवसंभटित ह.

5/5

4. Perusal of the conditions imposed in the NIT read with the aforementioned letter, one cannot draw inference that a contractor who is facing criminal proceeding and not convicted is not entitled to participate in the tender. Merely, pendency of criminal proceeding would not be a hurdle. The letter dated 25.01.2021 is not specific to the extent that if a contractor is facing criminal proceeding in that event he is ineligible to participate. Moreover, merely pendency of criminal proceedings would not bar a contractor to participate in NIT issued by the Government/ Organization, in the absence of any specific bar.

5. In the light of these facts and circumstances, the concerned respondent is hereby directed to entertain petitioner's bid and consider his bid in accordance with the NIT.

6. With the above observations, the present writ petition stands disposed of.

(P. B. Bajanthri, J) ( Arun Kumar Jha, J) rakhi/- AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE N.A.

Uploading Date 28.08.2023 Transmission Date N.A.