Kendriya Bhandar moves Telangana HC against state govt decision on furniture tender

HYDERABAD: A joint venture of Kendriya Bhandar, Zenith Metaplast Pvt Ltd, and V3 Enterprises has filed a petition in Telangana High Court challenging its categorisation pertaining to tender conditions for the procurement of furniture items for government schools.

The three private companies, in their petition, found fault with the government for the categorisation for procuring furniture under Mana Ooru-Mana Badi/Mana Basti - Mana Badi programme in Telangana.
The petitioner expressly challenged the incorrect basis for classifying the petitioners as “not fulfilled” as completely irrational, capricious, and unlawful. The bid materials presented by the petitioner showed that the petitioner satisfied the essential conditions to participate in the tender called for by the government. 

The petitioner asserted that they are engaged in the manufacturing and supply of furniture such as tables, chairs and stools in India. The Central Government Employees Consumer Cooperative Society Limited, better known as Kendriya Bhandar, was established in 1963 and operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.

It is said that the Government of Telangana issued GO 837, naming Kendriya Bhandar as the nodal agency for the supply of different products of furniture, to government institutions in Telangana. The petitioner requested that the government’s decision to wrongfully hold that they did not meet the tender criteria be declared arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional and that the decision is set aside, directing the respondents to treat the petitioner’s bid as meeting the tender criteria.