Telangana told not to ink deal with LI bidders

Hyderabad: Telling the TS government not to enter into any agreement with successful bidder, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday asked it to spell out its stand on a petition challenging the invitation of tenders for the Ranga Reddy-Palamuru lift irrigation scheme without considering the guidelines of Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI).

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice P. Naveen Rao was ordering the registry to allot a number to a petition moved by BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy as a PIL and list the case for hearing on Wednesday.

Justice Bhosale asked TS AAG J. Ramachandra Rao how could the government go ahead with a scheme that involves Rs 35,000 crore without taking into consideration guidelines and technical advice by the ESCI.

He wondered about the reasons in not considering the technical advice when the government paid Rs 5.70 crore to the college to prepare a detailed project report and also sought technical support in inviting tenders and executing the project.

When Mr Rao replied that he has to get instructions from the government, the bench said that it will hear the case on Wednesday and told him to get instructions in the meanwhile.

Dr Reddy had challenged a notification issued by the TS government inviting tenders for the lift irrigation scheme.

He told the court that the notification, issued on January 16, 2016, was against the tender regulations and the rules framed leave scope for the corruption.

The registry had raised an objection to treating it as a writ petition and placed it before the bench. Justice Bhosale overruled the objection and told the registry to treat it as a PIL as it involved huge public money.

Counsel for the petitioner Y. Srinivasa Murthy urged the court to direct the government not enter into any agreements pursuant to the tender notification.

When the bench was inclined to grant an interim order, the AAG said he would place all details on Wednesday.

Record exams, states told
The Hyderabad High Court on Monday asked the governments of TS and AP to explore possibilities to record the conduct of SSC public examination of at least five schools in each state on an experimental basis by using tablet computers and inform it on Thursday.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice P. Naveen Rao was dealing with a PIL by one Srinivas Guntupalli of Eluru city in AP seeking to declare the inability to prevent mass copying by both the governments as illegal.

Contending that the action of the respondents was contrary to the provisions of AP Education Act, 1982 and the AP Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices and Unfair Means) Act, 1997, the petitioner urged the court to direct the authorities to take steps to prevent mass copying, including by installation of CCTV cameras with recording facility in all examination halls and strong rooms connected to a central monitoring room at the district headquarters and the state capital.

The petitioner alleged that even invigilators were allowing mass copying.

He urged the court to grant an interim order as the SSC examinations are scheduled to commence from next Monday.

While opining that within such short time installation of CCTV cameras would not be possible, the bench asked counsels appearing for both states to find out the possibility of recording of examinations in at least five selected centres in each state using Tabs and inform it on Wednesday.

The bench also sought to know the steps being taken to prevent mass copying in SSC and Intermediate public examinations.