Chennai, April 25 (BPNS)
The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the state school education department to appoint people who have knowledge of Tamil or local language in the area where the school is located while private firms engaged in security services, cleaning and maintenance are appointed.
The division bench of the Madras High Court comprising of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy directed the appropriate Tender Floating Committee to apply its mind and appropriately frame the conditions taking into account all the materials including the criteria adopted by other departments in the best interests of the work to be done.
The Tamil Nadu School Education Department has for the first time inviting tenders for housekeeping, sanitary and security services in all the schools under the department. The criteria for the bidders is that they should have operated in an area of 25 lakh square feet with a turn over of Rs 50 crores in the last three years and an employee strength of 5000.
An organisation, Quality Property Management Services Pvt Ltd moved the Madras High Court but a single bench court dismissed the petition.
When the appeal petition had come before the first division bench, the Additional Advocate General, J. Raveendran submitted that by virtue of the pre bid meeting, the conditions have been diluted. The AAG said that the total square feet have been reduced from 25 lakh square feet to 10 lakh square feet, and the turn over from Rs 50 crore to Rs 30 crore. The number of personnel has been reduced from 5000 to 3000.
The division bench refused to accept the explanation made by the AAG and questioned why the tender criteria was diluted. The court set aside the single bench order and quashed the tender notification.
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