Tehri Hydro moves SC against Uttarakhand High Court order

Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) today challenged in Supreme Court the stay order by the Uttarakhand High Court over finalisation of bids by two multinational firms--Alstom Hydro and Voith-- for developing the second phase of the project.

A Bench comprising Justices V S Sirpurkar and T S Thakur asked THDC, a joint venture between the Government of India and Uttar Pradesh, to produce papers regarding the technical bidding of the project.

The apex court's direction came over a plea filed by THDC challenging the high court's order, which had stayed the bidding process on the plea of Voith Hydro, a joint venture between two German companies Voith and Siemens.

The matter is now listed for hearing on next Monday.

Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati appearing for THDC submitted before the Bench that the project was getting delayed due to the high court's order at this stage.

"What should we do. Third round of bidding has been started, but still the project is where it was because of the stay," he said.

THDC had invited fresh bids in December after a year-long tussle with the two bidders, who took the dispute to the apex court on March 26 last year.

The apex court on hearing the cross appeals filed against one another by THDC, Alstom Hydro and Voith Hydro, asked for creation of a three-member committee at THDC to look into the issue.

Further, it said, the opinion given by the committee would be considered by the THDC, while taking a final decision in this regard.

Following this, on December 14, 2010, a three-member committee at THDC found deficiencies in the bids of both the bidders - Alstom Hydro, a part of French engineering major Alstom and Voith Hydro.

THDC told the bidders to file compliance by removing the deficiencies and to submit price bids after that.

Voith, however, challenged its order in the high Court, which ordered a freeze in the bidding process.