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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by a Dubai-based firm challenging the tender allotted to Adani for the redevelopment of the Dharavi slum in Mumbai.

“The grounds raised in the petition lack force and effort. The challenge to the government's action of cancelling the earlier tender and issuing a fresh tender award fails,” the order states.

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar was hearing a petition filed by Secklink Technologies Corporation (STC) challenging the decision of the state government to award tender in favour of Adani.

The first tender was issued by the state government in 2018 wherein STC emerged as the highest bidder with a bid offer of Rs. 7200 crore for the 259-hectare redevelopment project.

However, after the new government was formed, the earlier tender was cancelled and a new tender was issued in 2022 which was allotted to Adani for Rs. 5069 crore.

The government contended that a fresh tender was issued because the financial and economic conditions were affected by COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Additionally, the state government argued that Seclink Technologies had the opportunity to meet the revised bid requirements within the new tender process.

“There is no question of excluding anyone's participation as the bids were required to be submitted afresh and the petitioner also could have submitted a bid by complying with the terms and conditions of the new tender,” the affidavit stated.

The state also submitted that under the new tender, the selected bidder will also be required to accommodate the non-eligible slum tenements in affordable housing or under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and pertinently such requirement was not there in the old 2018 tender.