PANJIM: The State government has informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that decision on finalising an eligible bidder for installing digital taxi meters will be taken within three weeks.
Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande submitted to the court that out of the three bidders, two were found to be fulfilling the technical qualifications. The financial bids were opened on January 18. “An appropriate decision in the matter will be taken within three weeks,” he said during the hearing before division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Prithviraj Chavan.
The government in November 2018 invited bids for installation of the digital meters in taxis after the court pulled up the Transport Department for a ‘needless delay.’ The State had then informed the High Court that it had to scrap the entire earlier process on fitting of digital meters due to a change in specification for Automotive Tracking Device and that the officers were made aware of the new standard during a meeting with the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and the Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) held on August 20, 2018. The bench had rejected government’s claim and imposed Rs 10,000 fine to be recovered from the officer concerned.
With the latest submission, the court has adjourned the matter for next hearing on February 4 when the government is directed to submit its decision on the bids.
The high court is hearing a petition filed by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) and supported by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and other stakeholders, alleging that government was illegally and unconstitutionally keeping in abeyance the implementation of the decision while also seeking directions for its immediate enforcement.
