(1.) The present writ petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, wherein the petitioner prays for the issuance of a writ of certiorari quashing the impugned E-Tender No. ET-60/ MMC/PD/ETPS/ HTPS/2024 dated July 10, 2024 as amended on August 13, 2024 issued by Superintending Engineer, Material Management Circle (MMC), Harduaganj Thermal Power Station (HTPS), Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, Kasimpur, Aligarh (hereinafter referred to as 'respondent no.3') whereby the petitioner was restricted from participating in E-Tender. The petitioner further prays for a direction to respondent no.3 to invite a fresh tender for the supply of agro-based non-torrefied biomass pellets for coal handling plant at the aforementioned location and to permit the petitioner to participate in the tender process without imposing any pre-qualifying condition as mentioned in Clause 3(i) of the impugned E-Tender.
(2.) The factual matrix of the present writ petition is delineated below:
(3.) Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner has made the following submissions: