(1.) Inasmuch as the issues involved in this batch of writ petitions are more or less identical, they were heard together and are decided by this common order.
(2.) The petitioners, who are the food suppliers/small poultry farms with a capacity to produce less than one lac eggs per day, have called in question the validity of G.O. Ms. No. 57 Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme (SW 4-3) Department, dtd. 20/8/2018 (for short, "G.O. Ms. No. 57") and consequential tender floated by the second respondent vide notification in Roc. No. 20304/NMP/2018 dtd. 20/8/2018. The petitioners in WP. Nos. 26732, 26890 and 27059 of 2018 have also challenged the rejection of their technical bids submitted, pursuant to the earlier tender notification in Roc. No. 4554/NMP/2018 dtd. 11/6/2018.
(3.) 1 Before proceeding to note the submissions of the learned Senior Counsel appearing for the respective parties, it is but necessary to understand the background to the issuance of the impugned Government Order as well as the consequential tender notification.