In Brief
Ujjain Municipal Corporation invited tenders for waste collection and transportation. After technical and financial evaluation by an expert consultant, Global Waste Management Cell Private Limited was awarded the contract over BVG India Limited. BVG challenged the award before the High Court, which set it aside. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that courts cannot substitute their judgment for that of expert evaluators in tender matters unless the decision is mala fide, arbitrary, or irrational. The successful bidder was technically superior; BVG had omitted disclosing 73 show-cause notices and improperly relied on a third party's qualifications despite bidding independently. Public interest in quality waste management justified prioritizing technical competence over lowest price.
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