Patna High Court
Jawahar Lal Yadav vs The State Of Bihar on 21 August, 2023
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.9710 of 2023
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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
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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
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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.
Patna High Court CWJC No.9710 of 2023 dt.21-08-2023
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-421-
Barsoi 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
Patna High Court CWJC No.9710 of 2023 dt.21-08-2023
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:-
"सभी समबनननत पदाo
को तु रनत अनु पालन
हे तु मे रे सतर से एक पतत्रांक 01/अ०मु ०स०को० /2021/54/29/अ०मु ०स०को०
पत ननररत करने हे तु पप्रारप दे । नबहार सरकार
OSD / अभभि पममुख रृ ह नवभार
पप्रेषक,
ससंख्यप्रा-508
आभमर समुबहप्राननी
अपर ममुख्य सभचिव ।
से वा मे ,
पु नलस महाननदे शक, नबहार
सभी नवभार / नवभाराधयक, नबहार
सभी पमसंडलनीय आयमुक्त / भजिलप्रा पदप्राभधिकप्रारनी, भबहप्रार।
पटना नदनांक 25 जनवरी 2021
नवषय:- भवभभिन्न सरकप्रारनी भवभिप्रागग /भनगमग/भनकप्रायग ममें ससंभवदप्रा /ठप्रे कप्रा पर कप्राम
लप्रेन प्रे हप्रेतमु चिभरत सत्यप्रापन कनी अभनवप्रायर्यतप्रा कप्रे भवषय ममें।
महाशय,
रप्राज्य कप्रे अन्तगर्यत भवभभिन्न भवभिप्राग / भनगम / भनकप्राय अपनप्रे स्तर
Patna High Court CWJC No.9710 of 2023 dt.21-08-2023
सप्रे भनभवदप्रा ससूचिनप्रा भनगर्यत कर भवभभिन्न पकप्रार कप्रे कप्रायरसं कको ससंभवदप्रा / ठप्रे कप्रा कप्रे
आधिप्रार पर सक्षम एवसं समुयकोग्य व्यभक्तयग / ससंस्थप्रानग कप्रे मप्राध्यम सप्रे सम्पन्न करप्रातप्रे
हहैं। भवभधि-व्यवस्थप्रा एवसं लकोक व्यवस्थप्रा बनप्राए रखनप्रे हप्रेतमु आवश्यक हह भक इन
कप्रायरसं कको सम्पप्राभदत करनप्रे वप्रालप्रे व्यभक्त तथप्रा उनकप्रे कमर्यचिप्रारनी स्वच्छ चिभरत कप्रे
सं ममें कमु छ पकप्रार
हग तथप्रा उनकप्रा आपरप्राभधिक इभतहप्रास नहहीं रहप्रा हको। इस ससंबधि
कप्रे कप्रायरसं कको आवसंभटित करनप्रे कप्रे पसूवर्य चिभरत पमप्राणपत पप्राप्त करनप्रे कनी व्यवस्थप्रा
भिनी हह परन्तमु इसममें एकरपतप्रा लप्रान प्रे तथप्रा इसकको दद ढ़तप्रा सप्रे पप्रालन करप्रान प्रे कनी
आवश्यकतप्रा महससूस कनी जिप्रा रहनी हह। पमुभलस कप्रे दप्रारप्रा चिभरत पमप्राणपत भनगर्यत
करनप्रे कनी वतर्यमप्रान पभक्रियप्रा कको और भिनी समुचिप्रार बनप्रान प्रे हप्रेतमु अलग सप्रे कप्रारर्यवप्राई
पभक्रियप्राधिनीन हह।
2- अततः उपरकोक्त कप्रे आलकोक ममें भनम्नभलभखत भनदप्रेश भदयप्रे
जिप्रातप्रे हह:-
क) सभिनी सरकप्रारनी भवभिप्राग / भनगम / भनकप्राय अपनप्रे
अधिनीन उपरकोक्त पकप्रार कप्रे कप्रायरसं कप्रे सम्पप्रादन हप्रेतमु भनभवदप्रा कप्रे
मप्राध्यम सप्रे कप्रायर्य आवसंभटित करतप्रे हहैं , 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 हह . उनकप्रे ससंबधि
सं ममें भिनी यभद
चिभरत पमप्राणपत पसूवर्य ममें समभपर्यत नहहीं भकयप्रा गयप्रा हह , तको उनसप्रे
भिनी चिभरत पमप्राणपत कनी मत्रांग कनी जिप्राएगनी। यभद भकसनी कप्रायर्य
कप्रे अनमुसप्रार अन्य कको ममुख्य सवदप्रेक दप्रारप्रा इकरप्रारनप्रामप्रे कनी शतर
ससंवप्रेदक कको उप आबसंभटित भकयप्रा जिप्रातप्रा हह तको यह पर भिनी लप्रागसू
हकोगनी।
ख) भवभिप्राग / भनगम/भनकप्राय सप्रे ससंभवदप्रा पर कप्रायर्यादप्रेश
पप्रान प्रे वप्रालप्रे ससंस्थप्रानको / व्यभक्तयग कप्रे दप्रारप्रा यभद ऐसप्रे कप्रायर्य
सम्पप्राभदत भकयप्रे जिप्रा रहप्रे हहैं भजिनकप्रे भलए उनकप्रे ससंबभसं धित कभमर्ययग
कप्रे दप्रारप्रा सप्रावजिर्यभनक स्थप्रान बस स्टिहैंड पप्राभकर्यगसं स्थल आभद पर
सप्रामप्रान्य जिनतप्रा कप्रे सम्पकर्य ममें रहकर कप्रायर्य कप्रा भनष्पप्रादन भकयप्रा
जिप्रा रहप्रा हको तको उपरकोक्त कप्रायरसं कको करप्रान प्रे वप्रालप्रे ससंख्यप्रान /व्यभक्त
अपनप्रे ससंबभसं धित कभमर्ययग कको अपनप्रे स्तर सप्रे पहचिप्रान पमप्राणपत
भनगर्यत करमेंगप्रे तथप्रा उन सभिनी कभमर्ययग कप्रा चिभरत सत्यप्रापन
करप्रानप्रा भिनी भजिलप्रा पमुभलस सप्रे चिभरत पमप्राणपत पप्राप्त कर
समुभनभश्चित करमेंगप्रे ।
3 - अनमुरकोधि हह भक उपरकोक्त भदशप्रा -भनदर्देश कप्रा अभनवप्रायर्य रप सप्रे कड़प्राई
सप्रे पप्रालन भकयप्रा जिप्राय ।
भवशप्रासभिप्राजिन
(आभमर समुबहप्राननी)
अपर ममुख्य सभचिव"
Patna High Court CWJC No.9710 of 2023 dt.21-08-2023
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.
