The Kerala High Court on Thursday said the State Chief Secretary needs to review the methodology by which tenders are issued by the State government in order to remove all possible loopholes that could cause a loss to the public exchequer.
A bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. issued the direction while disposing of a public interest litigation (PIL) which claimed that tenders awarded by the Irrigation department for desilting reservoirs of the State were causing substantial loss to the public exchequer.
The petitioner had contended in his PIL that the rate quoted in the tenders, issued in 2024, for the desilting of three dams in Palakkad district was much lower than the local market rate and would result in a loss of over ₹15 crore for the State exchequer.
The petitioner, Shaji P.M., a resident of Palakkad, claimed that he had initially complained to the Chief Secretary regarding the matter, but as there was no response, he had filed the PIL.
The Irrigation department had contended in court that the tender amount was below the local market rate due to the deduction of sieving charges which was mandatory.
