CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has set aside the tender notification issued by the Vellore City Municipal Corporation for auctioning seven shops in the Tharaparavedu bus stand in Katpadi taluk. Justice K Venkataraman, who quashed the notification, observed that the notification was issued in a small newspaper having poor circulation. Passing orders on a petition from M Sunil Kumar, a ward councilor, the judge said the Commissioner of VCMC was at liberty to cause publication in newspapers which have got larger circulation in the locality and also to make broader publication in the notice boards regarding the auction pertaining to the shops in question.The judge pointed out that senior counsel P Wilson has categorically stated that the notification was made only in a Tamil newspaper, having circulation of only 20 copies in the locality. When such a categorical averment was made, the Commissioner of VCMC has not disputed the said fact while filing the rejoinder affidavit. “It is not known why effective paper publication was not made by the commissioner in other newspapers also,” the judge added.The judge said the Commissioner of VCMC, by publishing the tender notification only in the paper, which has got a limited circulation in the locality, has projected that he has done everything in accordance with the provisions of the TN Tender Transparency Act and Rules. Had the publication been effected in newspapers which have got larger circulation in the locality, there would have been more competition to participate in the tender process, the judge said.The aim of the Commissioner of VCMC primarily should have been to auction the shops at the maximum price. If that objective was in his mind, he would have caused publication in newspapers which have got larger circulation in the locality, he added.
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