ASHOKAN K. Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners in these writ petitions seek to direct the respondents to disburse the balance bill amounts payable to them for distributing drinking water in certain areas in Palakkad District.

(2.) The petitioners state that they responded to tender notices for supply of drinking water to certain drought affected areas in Palakkad District. The tenders submitted by the petitioners were accepted and the petitioners have been supplying drinking water within the areas allocated to them. As per the tender notification, the vehicles used for the supply of drinking water had to be connected with GPS by an Agency appointed by the District Collector. The petitioners complied with the said condition also while undertaking water supply.

(3.) Certain GPS instruments connected by the said Agency were not functioning satisfactory, perhaps due to faulty equipment. The petitioners collected the data from GPS as far as possible and produced the data before the concerned officers for approval of the bills. Palakkad is a severely drought affected area and there was public cry for supply of drinking water. The concerned Tahsildars directed the petitioners to provide drinking water in those places which faced acute shortage of water. The petitioners complied with such directions.