GUWAHATI, India, March 24 -- Gauhati High Court issued the following order on Feb. 20:

1. This writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is preferred to assail rejection of the petitioners' technical bid submitted in response to a tender process initiated by the respondent Oil India Limited authorities vide Invitation for Bids [IFB]/E-Tender no. CDT8813P22.

2. The petitioner no. 1 is a partnership firm wherein the petitioner no. 2 is one of the partners. For ease of reference, the petitioners are referred to hereinafter as 'the petitioner' only.

3. By the IFB/E-Tender no. CDT8813P22, the respondent Oil India Limited [OIL] in connection with its operations, invited Local Competitive Bids [LCB] from competent and experienced/approved Contractors/Firms for the work/service, 'Hiring the services of 34 [thirty-four] Nos. brand new 42/48 seater fully built diesel buses [to be purchased after issuance of LOA from the vehicle manufacturer or from their authorised dealer[s] as a fully built bus] of Model: TATA STARBUS LPO 10.2/54/ ASHOK LEYLAND LS 1510.3T6RB /EICHER SKYLINE PRO 3010 L or equivalent model bus having 42/48 seating capacity, [with wire mesh protection on windshield, side window glasses & rear wind screen] to be stationed at any place of OIL's operational areas in Assam & Arunachal Pradesh, for a period of 4[four] years for round the clock duties authorized by the Company'. The tender process was under 'Open E-Tender Composite Bid System with OIL's offered Rates on 'One-Bidder-Two-Bus'

4. As per the E-Tender Notice, the bid closing date was 14.12.2021 and the Technical Bid opening date was also 14.12.2021. The bids were to be opened at the specified office mentioned in the E-Tender Notice. The tender process was in Two-Bid System consisting of the Technical Bid and the Financial Bid. The bidders were to upload the bids in the designated Procurement Portal - http://etender.srm.oilindia.in/irj/portal.

5. The bidders were asked to submit the Technical Bid along with all the annexures and proforma [wherever applicable] and copies of documents in electronic form through the Oil's e-procurement portal within the bid closing date and time stipulated in the E-Tender, as per the user manual available in Oil's E-Tender Portal. The Technical Bids were to be submitted as per the terms of reference/technical specifications of the Bidding Document. The documents accompanying the Technical Bid were also to be submitted in the physical form in sealed envelope before the Designated Authority on or before 12-45 hours [IST] on the bid closing date indicated in the IFB. Timely delivery of the documents in physical form, as per Clause 11.2.2 of the Bidding Document, was the responsibility of the bidder.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=tuqye3PhFs%2BBDn75ghiOpD9RGFuh4ig4iO4WCcr%2FiLNYmjcZi7dwfDyxhootU9xw&caseno=WP(C)/194/2023&cCode=1&cino=GAHC010004332023&state_code=6&appFlag=)

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