Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has dismissed a writ petition challenging the State’s tender process for supplying bunker beds to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) schools, holding that no illegality or arbitrariness was established.
Justice Surepalli Nanda rejected the petition filed by the Telangana Small Scale Industries Steel and Wooden Furniture Manufacturers Association and others. The petitioners had questioned the state’s decision to enter into supplementary agreements on November 29, 2025, with private suppliers for the supply, commissioning, and installation of 45,360 bunker beds, along with mattresses and pillows.
The association argued that the original tender required completion within 120 days and that the authorities should have floated a fresh tender instead of extending the timeline through supplementary agreements.
They also alleged irregularities in the tender process, including favouritism and violations of eligibility criteria. Additionally, the petitioners claimed that suppliers failed to meet the initial deadline, making the extension contrary to tender conditions.
State govt raises contention
In response, the state contended that the petitioners lacked the standing to challenge the process since they had not participated in the tender. It also pointed out that the tender conditions explicitly allowed for extensions of time and the imposition of liquidated damages in case of delays.
After reviewing the case, the court found no evidence of mala fides, arbitrariness, or procedural illegality. It noted that part of the delay was attributable to the time taken by authorities to finalise specifications such as colour codes.
The court further observed that the tender terms permitted extensions, making the supplementary agreements contractual in nature.
Importantly, the court reiterated that parties who do not participate in a tender process generally cannot challenge it or the resulting contract.
Concluding that the petitioners failed to demonstrate any legal infirmity, the High Court dismissed the writ petition.
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