Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and a private firm on a plea seeking stay of the award of a tender for collecting toll tax from commercial vehicles in the national capital.

A division bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Rajiv Shakdher said: “Issue notice to MCD and other.”

The court issued notice while hearing a petition filed by M/s Sahakar Global Ltd against the award of tender by MCD to M/s SMS Infrastructure Ltd for collecting toll tax from all commercial vehicles at 121 entry points in the capital.

The bench, meanwhile, has fixed Aug 18 as next date of hearing.

“The tender process is ‘illegal and malafide’ acts of the civic body. The bidding process was tampered with for extending undue benefit to M/s SMS Infrastructure Ltd,” said the petition.

“The private parties will have to file a counter affidavit on or before July 4,” said the bench.

Meanwhile, MCD will have to file a rejoinder on or before July 15.

However, the bench did not stay the operation of grant of licences to the private firm.

“The fate of the tender process will depend on the outcome of the petition,” said the bench.

“M/s Sahakar Global Ltd seeks to challenge the process adopted by MCD while opening the financial proposal wherein the objections of its representatives that the envelope containing financial bids were evidently tampered with and probably the same was opened to give unfair advantage to the private firm, was persistently ignored,” states the petition.

After floating the tender earlier, on March 1 MCD had invited bids for collection of toll from commercial vehicles entering the national capital.

M/s SMS Infrastructure Ltd was winner in the bidding process, which was later challenged by M/s Sahakar Global Ltd.