HC stays bidding process for TN's street lights

The Madras High Court has put an interim stay on a bidding process to purchase LED street light fittings worth Rs 329 crore to install them across Tamil Nadu.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice RMT Teekaa Raman stayed the tender process temporarily when it was pointed out that one of the bidding terms said the bidders have to be evaluated by the Chennai Corporation which, however, had no accredited facilities.
The court was adjudicating a public interest plea filed by social activist C Karthikeyan, a member of the Federation of Anti-Corruption Team India (FACT INDIA).

The bidding for the Centrally-funded scheme was invited through e-tender notice for e-bids from eligible bidders for 9,06,310 of 20W LED lamp fittings and the collectors of all 31 districts had called for tenders.
The petitioner contended that the Chennai Corporation's Electrical Department did not have the requisite equipment to conduct tests and was not authorised by National Accreditation Board for testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
He also submitted that some conditions were stipulated in a biased manner and sought quashing of the same besides a direction for conducting tests by NABL.