The Hindu : PIL on BSNL tender withdrawn

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004

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National

PIL on BSNL tender withdrawn

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 16. The Delhi High Court today dismissed as withdrawn a public interest litigation seeking an inquiry into a Rs. 5,000-crore tender of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for supply of mobile phone equipment.

A Division Bench comprising Justice B.C. Patel and Justice B.D. Ahmed allowed Abhisek Singhvi, counsel for the petitioner, Culcutta Citizens Initiative, a non-government organisation, to withdraw the petition and file a new one with proper documents.

The petitioner alleged that the tender document had been prepared in such a way as to allow only four European companies — Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Nortel — to bid for the supply of equipment.

However, the Bench did not allow Mr. Singhvi to submit details of the allegation saying that the petition was not supported by proper and supporting documents.

The Solicitor-General, Kirit Rawal, and counsel for the BSNL, Harish Salve, opposed the petition submitting that it should be dismissed at the threshold, as it had no public interest to serve.

They alleged that the petition had been filed at the instance of certain cellular operators who were in competition with the BSNL in the business, and their purpose was to delay the expansion of the services by the public sector company.

Mr. Singhvi allayed his fears saying that he was not pressing for an interim stay on the opening of the tender. Later, the petition was withdrawn.

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