RAVI FISHERIES COOP. SOCIETY LTD Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner through the medium of the present petition challenges the advertisement notification No. ADF/K/2013-14/96-104 dt. 26.04.2013, issued by the respondent No. 4, for re-auctioning the fishing rights in Ranjit Sagar Reservoir for the year 2013-14. The basis of challenge is that in the earlier bidding process, the petitioner stood at Sl. No. 4, with a bid amount of Rs. 24.50 lacs, whereas the first three bidders had submitted a bid of Rs. 52 lacs, 51 lacs and 50 lacs respectively. Having failed to deposit the bid amount by the highest bidders, the respondents were under an obligation to allot the contract to the petitioner who was willing to deposit the bid amount offered by him in terms of the auction notice.

(2.) Reply has been filed by the respondents wherein a reference has been made to Annexure R. 7, which is a decision taken by the respondents on 25th of April, 2013, for re-auctioning the fishing rights. Reference has been made to the said decision to show that the official respondents found a huge gap between the third highest bidder at Rs. 50 lacs and the fourth highest i.e. the petitioner at Rs. 24.50 lacs. Keeping in view this huge gap in the bid offer, it was decided to conduct a fresh auction process for the purposes of fishing rights in the said Reservoir seeing the huge potential to earn revenue for the State. The Committee of officers while taking the decision, with a view to ensure that the process of bidding was not sabotaged as in the earlier bidding process, also raised the earnest money requirement from Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 2 lacs.

(3.) Heard learned counsel for the parties.