‘No state of war with Bangladesh’: Tripura High Court slams govt for bypassing lowest bidder in Rs 6.58 crore water project

Characterising the state’s defense as a strategic attempt to “draw wool over the eyes of the court”, theTripura High Courthas quashed amulti-crorework order awarded to an “incompetent” contractor while bypassing thelowest bidder, and said that there was “no state of war existing between India and Bangladesh”.

A division bench Chief JusticeM S Ramachandra Raoand JusticeBiswajit Palitdeclared the state’s actionsarbitrary,unreasonable,and motivated by favoritism.

The court was dealing with a plea of an enlisted government contractor with experience in construction and civil engineering works requisitioned by various government departments.

“The town of Kailashahar, where the work is to be executed, is no doubt adjacent to theneighboring country,Bangladesh, and it is not as if there was a state of war existing between India andBangladesh,” the court said on March 13.

The order added that obviously, the so-called situation inBangladeshhad no relevance to the decision taken about the award of the subject tender to another contractor, and is being used to “draw wool over the eyes of the court” and somehow justify the “arbitrary” and “illegal” decision to disqualify the petitioner and award the contract to another contractor.

“The decision to reject the tender of the petitioner isarbitraryand unreasonable and violatesArticle 14of the Constitution of India,” the high court stated.

Jagriti Rai works with The Indian Express, where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society.

Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives.

Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates.

Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties.

Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style.

Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience.

Academic Foundations:
Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute.

Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions....

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