EWS contract to Maverick stayed

EWS contract to Maverick stayed
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The High Court has stayed the State government order to award the contract for construction of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quarters at Koramangala to Maverick Holdings and Investment Private Limited (MHIPL).

The petitioner, Mumbai-based Akruthi Nirman Limited had moved the High Court challenging the government order dated September 26, 2008 to award the contract to construct 1,640 flats to MHIPL.

In the submission, the petitioner said that the BMP (now BBMP) which invited expression of interest on October 12, 2004 had also invited the petitioner for presentation and discussion after they were qualified along with MHIPL.

The petitioner further submitted that despite being the highest bidder, Akruthi Nirman was not given the contract, and the Corporation in 2006 awarded the project to Maverick after passing a resolution in a BBMP meet. But the contract was cancelled during the President’s rule after the petitioner moved the High Court. The present government had gone ahead and ordered to award the contract, said the petitioner seeking a stay.

Justice N K Patil, who heard the matter has stayed the order dated September 26, 2008, and ordered issue of notice to the State government, MHIPL and BBMP.

Road over Gottigere lake
The High Court has directed the State government to file a comprehensive report in connection with the construction of a peripheral road over the Gottigere lake under the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project.

Hearing a batch of petitions in this connection, the division bench comprising Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice V G Sabhahit came down heavily on the State government and said the lake protection should be of prime importance.

The bench, which looked into several petitions including PILs to save the lake, said the November 4 order to save the lakes applied to Gottigere lake too and directed the government to take expert advice to save the lake.
The bench has directed the government to submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.