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Hearing on Reliance plea adjourned

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing on the Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Airports Developers' petition for quashing the award of tenders to modernise the Delhi and Mumbai airports to GMR-Fraport and GVK Industries till next Monday. It wants to decide the petition at the admission stage without issuing notices.

Directing the Union Government, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and GMR-Fraport and GVK Industries to file their replies by Saturday, a Division Bench on Monday said the court wanted to decide the issue early as "it is an important and serious matter."

Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam told the Bench, comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and Sanjiv Khanna,he was ready with an affidavit and had also brought the records of the deal. Later, he submitted them.

The court allowed a request by the AAI that the Government's affidavit be treated as its reply to the petition.

The former Additional Solicitor-General, Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the Reliance Airports Developers, submitted that the tender process was conducted arbitrarily and with mala fide intentions to favour a particular bidder.

His client was informed of the changes made in the tender conditions just an hour before the decision to award the contracts was taken.

Counsel also drew the court's attention to the lowering of standards for the award of the Mumbai airport modernisation contract.

Opposing his contention, Mr. Subramaniam said the tender process was fair. The final decision was taken before the process was vetted at five different stages.Counsel for GVK Industries also sought rejection of the Reliance's petition, saying the award of tender to his client's company was above board.

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