Deeksha Sood –
Orissa High Court has ruled that cancellation of auctions in cases of receipt of a single valid bid cannot said to be unfair, unreasonable or prejudicial for those who submitted the bids.
It was stated by the High Court that this is how in a competitive bidding process the best or rather the most competitive price can possibly be obtained.
While endorsing Jaipur district administration’s decision to cancel auction and go to for fresh tenders with respect to 13 black stone quarries in Dharmasala tehsil. According to the recent ruling.
The bids were received for settlement on long-term lease for a period of five years and were opened sometime in the third week of march 2021.
In April 2021 the intimation to successful bidder was sent and the decision to cancel auction was given on 15th May 2021. Petition filed by ten of these bidders challenging the decision.
The two Judge Bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice K.R.Mohapatra dismissing their petitions said “This decision applied not just to one or two of the sources but all the 13 sources where only one valid bid or no valid bid at all was received. This therefore can’t be termed to be either belated or barred by law.”
The Court is unable to accept the plea of the petitioners that in present case there has been any breach of the principle of natural justice in cancelling the auction the Bench stated in its June 9 order, a copy of which was available on Thursday.
