HC passes interim stay on rural road construction tender process

Gangtok, Dec 6 (UNI) Sikkim High Court today passed an interim stay on the tender process for the 25 works under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PGMSY) for the east district of the state which runs into over Rs 75 crore on a petition in this regard was filed by high profile politician-cum-businessman Thukchuk Lachungpa against the state government.

A single Judge bench of Justice A P Subba, after hearing about four and half hours marathon wrangle of the two parties, issued the stay till December 18 when the court would hear the case once again.

Mr Lachungpa, who was present in court, was represented by senior advocates K T Bhutia and Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, while the state was represented by Advocate General S P Wangdi.

The petition filed by Mr Lachungpa, who recently resigned from the state Congress to join the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad party, a regional outfit, also puts in question the new rule imposed by the government that contract works up to Rs 10 crore would be limited to the contractors of the district alone and that their counterparts from other districts cannot participate in the tender process of the work being carried out in one particular district.

Mr Lachungpa, who is an enlisted Class I A contractor, was debarred from participating in the tender process for the work under the PMGSY when his enlistment was cancelled by the state Roads and Bridges department, the department that issues the enlistment certificates.

The works under the PMGSY to build roads in rural areas are being carried out by the state Rural Management and Development department (RMDD).

Mr Lachungpa moved the court after being miffed on not being allowed to participate but claims that this had state wide ramifications since the whole policy and process of the new rule affected public interest and the very fundamental rights.

UNI