The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday closed the writ petition filed challenging the action of the State Government in qualifying the consortium of SEW–Patel-AMR joint venture for the Indira Sagar Polavaram Project.
The court decided to close this after recording the submissions made by the Advocate General that the High Power Committee is looking into the issues raised in the writ petition also.
Mr Justice Ramesh Ranganthan was hearing the case which had come as one of the aggrieved parties sought to question the award of contract to SEW-led venture.
Earlier this month, consortium of CGGC-Soma JV field the writ petition contending that the State's Engineers Committee erred in qualifying the SEW –Patel-AMR JV in awarding the tender.
On Monday, Mr A. Sudershan Reddy, State Advocate General, told the court that the High Power Committee headed by the State Chief Secretary is seized of the matter, and has the powers to decide on the outcome.
The committee, which includes Secretaries of Finance and Irrigation departments, would consider all the issues raised in the writ petition among other issues related to the award of contract, he added.
The judge said that any party who is aggrieved by the decision of the High Power Committee could seek all the other remedies including invoking the jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226 of Constitution of India. With these observations the writ petition was disposed off.
The award of the Rs 4,700-crore contract to SEW venture was being questioned by CGGC-Soma, who had contended that the consortium does not have requisite qualifications to get such a mandate. The matter also took political overtones with TDP and TRS engaged in allegations against one another.