HYDERABAD: The High Court of Telangana has issued a notice to the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (TSTDCL), demanding an explanation on why it had not awarded the contract for the operation and maintenance of a Haritha Hotel at Buddhavanam to the highest bidder - Surajram Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Reportedly, the contract instead went to a ‘bogus’ RVS Spice Hotels. The HC also directed the TSTDCL to file a detailed counter in the case by August 26.
The TSTDCL had floated tenders for the operation and maintenance of several Haritha Restaurants and Hotels across the State. Hyderabad-based Surajram Hotels had participated in the auction and was declared the highest bidder for one of the Haritha Hotels at Buddhavanam in Nagarjuna Sagar.
The contract for the same hotel’s operation and maintenance, however, went to Bengaluru-based RVS Spices Restaurant owner P Ravinder Rao, who had also participated in the auction. Challenging the move, Surajram Hotels, represented by its manager P Prashanth, had filed a petition in the High Court and Justice K Laxman, who heard the petition, had directed Prashanth to issue a personal notice to RVS Spice Hotels.
However, on sending the notice, the petitioner found out that there was no hotel in the address listed as that of RVS Spices Restaurant. In fact, the GST number used by Ravinder Rao for the address was cancelled suo motu by the Karnataka government on November 22, 2020.
The petitioner then brought this development to the notice of the High Court and alleged that the TSTDCL managing director was biased towards Ravinder Rao. After hearing the petitioner’s contention, Justice K Laxman issued a notice to the Corporation and directed it to file a detailed counter.
HIGHEST BIDDER SNUBBED
Hyderabad-based Surajram Hotels was declared the highest bidder for one of the Haritha Hotels at Buddhavanam, but the contract went to another ‘bogus’ bidder