VIJAYAWADA: The AP High Court criticised government officials for taking decisions without considering ground-level realities, and stayed the e-auction notification issued for the allotment of meat and fish shops at Mahanti Market in Vijayawada.
Justice Gannamaneni Ramakrishna Prasad questioned the rationale behind conducting e-auctions for small shops, observing that most petty traders lack basic computer knowledge and are unfamiliar with online procedures. The court noted that participation in an e-auction requires uploading documents, a process beyond reach of small vendors.
The court objected to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) issuing the e-auction notification in English in a Telugu newspaper, despite rules mandating that such notices be published in Telugu.
The judge questioned the intention behind publishing an English notification in a Telugu daily. While clarifying that e-auctions are appropriate for large companies with trained staff, the court asked what justification existed for extending the same system to the allotment of meat and fish shops. “The arbitrary administrative decisions ultimately inconvenience the common public. Corporation officials are making new rules sitting in air conditioned rooms without understanding the ground level problems,” the court observed.
The interim stay pertains to the e-auction notification issued by the VMC on February 6 for shop allotments at Mahanti Market. The court ordered the civic body to file a detailed counter affidavit and adjourned the case to March 3.
The case arose from a petition filed by fish trader Hari Manikyam Shankar Rao, who challenged the e-auction process, alleging lack of prior notice and absence of Telugu-language publication. His counsel submitted that traders are not tech friendly, preventing them from taking part in e-auction.
After hearing both sides, the HC ruled that e-auctions are unsuitable for traders, staying notification until more orders.