- (1.) Leave granted.
(2.) The appellants/petitioner(s) have questioned the judgment and order dated 11.7.2016 passed by the High Court of Bombay, Bench at Aurangabad and order dated 15.03.2016 of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Bench at Nagpur. The petitioners in the writ petition filed before the High Court i.e. W.P. No.3359/2016 questioned the tender notice dated 08.03.2016 issued by the State of Maharashtra inviting tender for multilevel contract and for supply of ready to cook food to Anganwadi Centres as supplementary nutritional food for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, adolescents girls under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS Scheme). The conditions were questioned by the appellants/petitioner(s) being arbitrary, unreasonable against the spirit of the decision of this Court in W.P.(C) No.196/2001.
(3.) The question as stated in the appeal is that the local self-help groups are sought to be ousted by the money power of large corporate houses with the help of the State ,the decision by this Court in PUCL v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No.196/2001) is being violated and that of Shagun Mahila Udyogik Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit v. State of Maharashtra and Others, passed in Civil Appeal No.7104/2011. It is urged that the local organization of women (Mahila Mandals) and self-help groups are best suited to give local food and other necessary efforts to provide supplementary nutritional food for children. The so-called Mahila Mandals who have applied under the tender that has been floated is, in fact, large industrial units and nothing to do with the Mahila Mandals and self-help groups. They are close to certain political personalities in the State of Maharashtra. Industrialists are not supplying good food as compared to these Mahila Mandals in different parts of the country, as accepted by the Union of India in its Report. The imposition of the unrealistic conditions made it impossible for the Mahila Mandals to compete. Thus, the State is entertaining fake business units and is acting contrary to the various decisions of this Court and the spirit of the Scheme.;