HC puts on hold commissioning of desalination plant in Chennai

The Madras High Court has restrained CMWSSB from issuing work order to successful bidder of the contract for construction of third desalination plant at Nemmeli here till further orders.

Justice V Bharathidasan gave the interim order Tuesday on the petition by Suez International, a French company seeking to declare it as the only technically qualified bidder in the tender floated by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) for construction of the 150 MLD plant.

The petitioner also sought the court to restrain CMWSSB from opening the price bid till the disposal of the plea.

When advocate general Vijay Narayan informed the court that the bid has been already opened as scheduled, the judge said, "Having regard to the dispute raised by the petitioner and considering the fact that price bids were already opened, CMWSSB is directed to proceed with the tender process and declare the result of the tender but not to issue any work order to the successful bidder until final disposal of the plea."