The Telangana High Court had set aside the e-tender notice issued by the State government on April 2 for procurement of carpets, bed-sheets, blankets, towels and uniforms for students of government residential educational institutions of the State.
Allowing a writ petition challenging the e-tender notice, Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti of the High Court directed all the departments of the State government to adhere to the diktat of GO Ms no.1 issued on March 11 of 2024. The GO said that it was imperative that all departments mandatorily procure from Telangana State Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society Limited (TSCO) to ensure continuous employment opportunities for the weavers.
“This mandatory procurement clause cannot be given a go by,” the judge said. The judge said not complying with the GO would mean ‘defeating its purpose’. This would also result in serious damage to the existence of co-operative societies in hand-loom sector, Justice Anil Kumar noted.
The petition questioning the e-tender notice was filed by Veeranjaneya Handloom Weavers Mutually Aided Co-operative Production and Sales Society of Warangal. The society said the notice was in violation of the GO mandating procurement of clothes and other materials from TSCO. The judge, after hearing contentions of the counsels of petitioner society and government, noted that government constituted Project Monitoring Unit (PMU), a nodal agency, through GO Ms. no. 17 to procure uniforms and other materials for government educational institutions.
