- (1.) Leave granted.
(2.) This appeal has been filed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust, through its Administrator, and the State of Punjab, against the order passed by the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court in a petition filed by the respondent herein under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as 'the 1996 Act') for the appointment of an Arbitrator. In the said application, which was numbered as Arbitration Case No.76 of 2007, the appellants herein were made respondents.
(3.) The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (hereinafter referred to as "the Trust") was constituted under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922 (hereinafter referred to as "the 1922 Act") for the planned development of the city of Ludhiana. For the purpose of construction of the City Centre in Ludhiana, the Trust, with the intention of entering into a joint- venture with developers in the private sector, invited bids by a Request of Proposal document dated 15.3.2005. Bids were filed by interested parties by 10.5.2005 and evaluation of the Technical bids was completed by 16.5.2005. In the final evaluation the respondent was found to be the highest bidder and a Letter of Intent was thereupon issued to him on 18.5.2005 for development of the City Centre, Ludhiana. The said Letter of Intent was alleged to have been approved by the Trust in its meeting held on 18.5.2005, which was attended by 7 out of its 10 members.;