A.S.PATKI Vs. DIVISIONAL RAILWAY MANAGER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By this Writ Petition, the petitioner has challenged the issuance of NIT (Notice Inviting Tender) for allotment of Special Minor Unit (Catering Unit/ stall) including Catering Unit/ stall at Raigarh Railway Station at Platform-1 bearing Unit No.TS/36/RIG/PF-1.

(2.) Petitioner has sought for the following relief in his Writ Petition:

(3.) Case of the petitioner is that he is a member of Akhil Bhartiya Railway Khan-Pan Licensees Welfare Association (regd) (for short, 'Association') and is running three Catering Units/ stalls at Raigarh Railway Station for the last many years and thereby, earning his livelihood. His Catering Units/ stalls 1 and 3 are situate at platform-1 while Catering Unit/ stall No.10 is at platform-2/3. It was further pleaded that as the respondent authorities did not renewed/extended the tenure of these Catering Units/ stalls allotted to him, he approached this Court by filing Writ Petition (C)-1644 of 2015. It is also mentioned that the Association has also filed a Writ Petition (C)- 1380 of 2018 before the High Court of Delhi in which interim protective order of status quo was granted in favour of the Association and similar Petitions were also filed before the Hon'ble Apex Court wherein orders have been passed to maintain status quo with respect to running of these units. In pursuance to the orders passed by the Hon'ble Apex Court as well as High Court of Delhi, the Railway Board issued letter dtd. 1/5/2019 to its Zonal Offices for maintaining status quo with respect to running of units as existed on 31/3/2019. Petitioner's contention is that in view of aforementioned letter, respondent authorities should not have issued the NIT for Catering Unit/stall at Raigarh Railway Station bearing No.TS/36/RIG/PF-1 and Catering Unit/ stall No.10 at platform-2/3.