HC refuses to intervene on Polavaram

HYDERABAD: The High Court on Monday directed the CGGC-Soma consortium to approach the high-powered committee constituted by the state government for redress of their grievances over award of the Indirasagar Polavaram Project works to the SEW-Patel joint venture. The CGGC-Soma consortium, the second-lowest bidder for the Rs 4,714- crore irrigation project, sought a stay on further proceedings on the ground that the award of work contract was in violation of the tender process.After hearing the arguments, justice Ramesh Ranganathan asked the high-powered committee of the government to award the work contract only after examining all aspects.The committee was asked to consider the petition filed by the CGGC-Soma consortium and also the explanation offered by the SEW-Patel joint venture.The court felt that it cannot intervene at this stage as the tenders have not been finalised and asked the petitioners to approach the high -powered committee for remedy.However, it granted the petitioners the liberty to approach the court in case their grievances were not considered by the panel.CGGC-SOMA JV quoted 12.1 percent less and SEW-Patel 12.6 percent less which works out to Rs 600 crore less than the actual value of the works.The petitioner contended that the committee of ENCs took a decision in favour of SEW-Patel because of the political clout it wielded though the bidder had no work experience as required under GO 94, apart from violating several other norms.Advocate-general A Sudarshan Reddy, who represented the state government, told the court that the issue of finalising the tender for the Indirasagar Polavaram project would be entrusted to a high-powered committee and that the government would take a final decision in accordance with its recommendations. Following the government’s declaration, the High Court asked the petitioners to approach the high-powered committee to have its grievance redressed.