Ahmadabad: Taking suo motu cognizance, the Gujarat High Court heard the petition filed in the Morbi bridge accident case. The High Court also strongly reprimanded the BJP government of Gujarat in this matter.
The Gujarat High Court asked the state government on what basis no tender was floated for expression of interest and why favor was extended to a particular person without floating the tender.
The court said that despite the expiry of the period on June 15, 2017, Ajanta (Orewa Group) was asked to continue the work of maintenance and management of the bridge without any compromise. The MOU was signed with the company in the year 2008, which expired in the year 2017. The court wanted to know whether any steps were taken by the local authorities to float the tender for the purpose of operation and maintenance after the expiry of this period.
While hearing the PIL, the High Court wanted to know whether the State Government had imposed any condition regarding fitness certificate in the MoU of 2008 and the agreement for the year 2022 with Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt Ltd (Oreva Group), if so. So who was the competent authority to do it?
Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri said, this agreement is of one and a half pages in which there is no condition. This agreement is in the form of an agreement. This generosity of the state government is for 10 years, no tender has been floated, there is no expression of interest.
The court asked, after the expiry of the period on June 15, 2017, what steps were taken by the state government and Morbi municipality to float the tender? Why no tender was floated for expression of interest and how any particular person was pleased without tendering it.
