MEROFORM INDIA PVT LTD Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Apparel Export Promotion Council (for short "AEPC"), respondent No.2 invited tenders in July, 2010 for engaging an event management agency for the International Trade Fair, Tex-Styles India-2011, to be held in February, 2011at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The petitioner applied in pursuance to the tenders floated in this regard. The bid process envisaged two stages of evaluation, i.e. technical bid and the financial bid.

(2.) The scope of activities for which the bid was invited included designing of logo, registration counter, stall construction, parking, signage/hoarding, audio-visual equipments, communication of the event, cafeteria, security, housekeeping, local transport for buyers, photograph, printing and mailing activities. The bids were evaluated based on the parameters fixed by the respondents. The petitioner was selected for award of the work, the total cost of the project being estimated at '17.44 crore. The petitioner claimed management fee of 12.5 per cent of the total expenditure, excluding hall rentals, catering expenses and stall construction. Respondent No.2 in terms of letter dated 9.9.2010 issued the Expression of Interest appointing the petitioner as the event management agency subject to finalization of agreement, terms & conditions and financial bids.

(3.) It is the case of the petitioner that thereafter meetings were held regarding work, but since the time for execution was short and the formalities were to take some time, it was requested to start the work. The petitioner prepared a team of professionals to get on with the job. The petitioner claimed to have got a number of consultants and professionals of its own and the petitioner company has a turnover of more than '70.00 crore and it has been doing similar works for various authorities including the Government authorities. Thus, it had no hesitation in starting the work and even copies of logo were prepared.