Bombay HC reserves order on Tata Motors plea challenging disqualification from e-buses tender process

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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday closed all arguments and reserved its order on a plea filed by the Tata Motors challenging its disqualification from the tender process for 1,400 electric buses for the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking.

Tata Motors participated in the tender process, but its bid was disqualified by the BEST following a technical suitability evaluation, the parties had earlier told the high court.

The auto major had approached the HC last month, challenging the BEST's decision to disqualify it from the tender process for operating 1,400 electric buses for the city.

Tata Motors argued that its technical bid was "arbitrarily" rejected to favor the company that won the tender process.

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But, the BEST denied the allegations and maintained before the HC that it had followed due process in awarding the tender.

As per the plea filed by the automobile company, the BEST had published an e-tender notice on February 26 this year for two-bid e-tender for the operation of stage carriage services for 1,400 single-deckers AC electric buses for Mumbai and its suburbs.

Tata Motors had submitted its technical and financial bid on April 25, the plea said.

However, on May 6, the BEST published a technical suitability evaluation of the tender and wrongly declared Tata Motors' bid as ¿technically non-responsive¿, alleging that the deviation mentioned in respect of operating range was not acceptable.

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