"Gujarat Is Preparing For 2036 Olympics": Advocate-General Submits Before Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat Government has informed the Gujarat High Court that the state is preparing for the 2036 Olympics and representatives from the International Olympic Committee is are set to visit the state in the year 2025.

The Bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J. Shastri was informed about the plan of the state government yesterday by the Advocate General, Kamal Trivedi in a plea moved by Cube Construction Engineering Limited challenging its disqualification during technical evaluation to build a sports complex.

Essentially, the bid was filed by the petitioner company in relation to a tender floated by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for the purpose of the development of a state-of-the-art sports complex (of national and international standards) in Ahmedabad.

The petitioner/bidder also challenged the decision of the tendering agency (AMC) in not communicating/disclosing the reasons for the disqualification of its bid after technical evaluation.

The tender of the AMC contained one essential condition/eligibility that the qualifying bidder must have experience in completing the construction of a minimum of one sports complex of a competition/international standard with indoor and outdoor games within the past seven years.

It was the submission of the Advocate General that the petitioner, Cube Construction Engineering Limited requested the AMC that this particular condition be replaced with the condition that the bidder must have an experience in building a theme park, as the petitioner, AG Trivedi added, was experienced in building a theme park and not any sports complex.

Regarding non-disclosure of the reason for disqualification of a particular bidder, AG Trivedi submitted that as per the concerned bid, the reasons for disqualification are not required to be given in the case of responsive bidders.

It was his specific submission that had the petitioner been a non-responsive bidder, the tendering agency (AMC) would have the duty to communicate the reason to the bidder for the rejection, however, he added, once the bidder is found to be responsive and if the bid is disqualified for want of technical requirements, the authority is not required to communicate with the bidder regarding the acceptance or rejection of the bid or the reasons thereof, however, the results of the technical evaluation are to displayed on the website.

The court will continue hearing the matter on April 20.

Case title - Cube Construction Engineering Limited v. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation