BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed the tender worth Rs 4,791 crore invited by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd., for solid waste management in the city for seven years. The court also pulled up the state government for breach of directions issued by the court in response to the undertaking given by the state during the earlier round of litigation.
Justice M Nagaprasanna stayed the tender dated May 28, 2025, till the next date of hearing after hearing the petition filed by Bengaluru Mahanagara Swachate Mattu Lorry Malikara Hagoo Gutthigedarara Sangha saying the tender has not been invited as per the terms of the order passed by the court in earlier round of litigation.
Also directing the government to file an affidavit regarding the re-tender notification, the court pointed out the re-tender is a clear breach of undertaking given to the court by the state.
The petitioner stated that the HC disposed of a petition on April 22, 2025, concerning the earlier tender with directions that the new tender that is issued during the subsistence of the subject petitions is sustained, finding no illegality and the petitioners are permitted to participate in the fresh tender that is now notified.
The court had also said the state should redraw the timeline for completion of the process of tender at an outer limit of four months, if not earlier.
As undertaken by the Advocate General, the petitioners who have challenged the rejection of their tender or disqualification, would not come in the way of participation in the tender nor that would weigh in the mind of the Tender Scrutiny Committee while scrutinizing the bids of those petitioners. The petitioners can move the court if there is a breach of timeline, the court had said in the earlier order.
The petitioner contended that the tender that was notified during the subsistence of the petition was not taken forward, but altogether a new tender was notified on May 28, 2025. Therefore, there is a breach of the undertaking given by the Advocate General before the court, the petitioner alleged.