PARAS V. MEHTA INDIAN INHABITANT PROPRIETOR OF M/S. H.M.V. ASSOCIATES Vs. MUMBAI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) RULE . With consent of the parties, Rule is made returnable forthwith.

(2.) IN Writ Petition No.569 of 2013, the petitioner a registered Municipal contractor impugns the decision dated 14.2.2013 and Circular dated 16.3.2013, which according to the petitioner have the effect of 'black-listing' him until further orders.

(3.) THE respondents-Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) claims to have unearthed a scam involving about 32 contractors, who in collusion with the officials of the MMC submitted and got released the bills towards sewerage and other engineering works, which in fact had not at all been carried out. In the course of preliminary probe, 17 contractors including the petitioner were suspected to be involved. Accordingly, pending further investigation, certain alleged outstanding bills concerning the petitioner came to be withheld. The petitioner and three other contractors, in substantially similar position, preferred Writ Petition Nos.825 of 2012, 886 of 2012, 887 of 2012 and 889 of 2012 before this Court, seeking an early settlement of their bills. These petitions came to be disposed of by an order dated 16.1.2013 acceding to the request of the petitioners that they be relegated before the Chief Engineer (Vigilance) of the MMC, who could examine their grievance and depending upon his decision, the petitioners would pursue such other remedy as may be permissible in law. The Chief Engineer (Vigilance) of the MMC was directed to examine the grievance of the petitioners referred to in the said Writ Petitions and within a period of three months communicate his decision to the petitioners.