BARUN BASUMATARY Vs. BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Ms. D. Das, learned counsel for the petitioner; Ms. N. Choudhury, learned Standing Counsel, Bodoland Territorial Council [BTC]; and Mr. R.R. Gogoi, learned Standing Counsel, Environment & Forest Department.

(2.) The instant writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is filed to assail a decision conveyed by the respondent no. 2 to the respondent no. 3 vide an Office Letter no. BTC/Forest-27/2025/70 dtd. 24/12/2025.

(3.) The facts which are not in dispute, can be exposited at first, in order to appreciate the issues involved in the writ petition. By a Notice Inviting Tender [NIT] dtd. 25/8/2025, the respondent no. 4 invited sealed tenders with validity period of 180 days for grant of Mineral Concession as per the provisions of the Assam Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2013 in certain specified Minor Mineral Concession areas [Mahals] within the Baksa Forest Division as per the schedule mentioned therein. One of the Mahals in which the Mineral Concession was to be granted by the NIT dtd. 25/8/2025 was 'Barnadi Sand Gravel and Stone Mahal No. 11' for the contract period : 2025-2032. It was informed to the bidders that the NIT contained details of the Minor Mineral Concession area [Mahal] along with the terms and conditions of grant and the same could be procured from the office of the respondent no. 4 during working hours on payment of a sum of Rs.1,000.00 by demand draft of the State Bank of India [SBI] payable in favour of the respondent no. 1.