HC notice to Sudhakar on cancellation of ambulance tender process

The High Court on Thursday ordered notice to Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar regarding cancellation of the tender process pertaining to Rs 1,800 crore ‘Command Control Room’ project for ambulance service. The tender process was being monitored by the High Court.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka allowed the interlocutory application (IA) filed by the petitioners -- Bharat Punarutthana Trust -- seeking to implead the minister. Health Minister Sudhakar had passed an order on January 17, 2021, cancelling the tender process. The government advocate claimed that the Chief Secretary may be impleaded, instead of the minister. The bench pointed out that the order cancelling the tender process contained the signature of the minister.

The petition had prayed for directions to set up an ambulance control room in the state and also monitoring of ambulance services through GPS. The state government had submitted that the tender process had been initiated. When the petitioners raised an apprehension that there were attempts to delay the tender process, the court had said it would monitor the process. In the subsequent hearing, the state government informed the court that due to discussions on many public forums and also based on the opinion of the experts, the tender process has been cancelled.

In the last hearing, the court perused the order cancelling the tender process and pointed out that the order was signed by the minister. The court observed that some of the important aspects, including the fact that the court was monitoring the process, are not brought to the notice of the minister.

On Thursday, the court granted permission to the petitioners to amend the petition to challenge the cancellation of the tender process and also to include the minister as an added respondent. The bench has posted the next hearing to March 30.