KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has held an undertaking should be obtained from bidders of flood-damaged rice and paddy stored in the contracted mills of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (Supplyco) to ensure they will not be used to make products intended for human consumption.
The court held an undertaking from the bidders will ensure they will be used only for industrial purposes. The court made it clear the undertaking shall be treated as a submission made before the court by the successful bidder. The successful bidder should adhere to the undertaking while taking delivery of the goods purchased by them.
The HC order came on a plea from Kalarcode Venugopalan Nair of Alappuzha. He submitted there is a strong likelihood of misuse of auctioned damaged rice and paddy stored in contracted mills.
The petitioner said notwithstanding the specific conditions in the tender, which barred the use of the damaged rice for human consumption, there is a strong possibility of these being violated.