New Delhi:The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea challenging the tender criteria laid down by AIIMS for the opening of food and juices shops in front of its hostels, saying the authorities had given equal weightage to aspects like quality, cleanliness, garbage disposal and fire-fighting system. A bench of Justices G S Sistani and Anup Jairam Bhambhani said it was satisfied that there was no infirmity in the tender conditions and the criteria under challenge cannot be termed as arbitrary or illegal.
"A careful examination of the number of marks awarded under each head shows that the respondent (AIIMS) has given equal weightage to various relevant aspects for a food-vending site, to secure quality, cleanliness, garbage disposal, use of digital payment system, fire-fighting system and other parameters, which in our view are all relevant. Accordingly, we do not find merit in the writ petition and the same is dismissed," the bench said. As per the petition, a bid was invited by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on September 21 for running of a juice shop, coffee shop, extension counter for providing juices, beverages, snacks, shakes, patties, coffee, fruit milkshakes and fruit kulfi in front of several hostels in the national capital.
The last dates of submission and opening of the bid were in October. Counsel for petitioner Din Bandhu Das submitted that a tender clause was arbitrary, fanciful completely subjective and gives unbridled leeway to a committee to award the tender to any person of their choice.