The Supreme Court of India has set aside a judgment of the Orissa High Court and ordered a fresh auction for a sand quarry, ruling that a tender committee’s misinterpretation of the term ‘previous Financial Year’—which led to the disqualification of the highest bidder—was erroneous and vitiated the decision-making process.

The judgment, delivered by a bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe , clarified that the tender condition must be read in harmony with the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Court directed the State of Odisha to refund the deposit made by the bidder who had been declared successful, along with 6% annual interest.

The appeals before the Supreme Court involved the interpretation of Rule 27(4)(iv) of the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 (hereinafter, th

See Full Page