Adani Ports & SEZ Moves Bombay HC Challenging Disqualification From JNPA Tender

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Monday moved the Bombay High Court challenging the disqualification of its bid in connection with a tender issued by state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) for upgradation of the latter's container terminal in Navi Mumbai.

A vacation bench of Justice AK Menon and Justice NR Borkar sought a reply from the Board of Trustees of JNPA and posted the matter for hearing on Friday (May 13).

Senior Advocates Ravi Kadam and Vikram Nankani appeared for the Petitioner while Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dhond appeared for the Respondents.

"Affidavit to be filed and copy be served on or before 12.05.2022. Reply, if any, to be filed by 12.05.2022", the Court ordered.

The private company was disqualified by JNPA from a tender process to privatise the state-run port authority's container handling facility on May 3.

As per JNPA, the terms and conditions in its tender document said that any firm involved in contract termination at other ports will be prohibited from participating in the terminal privatisation bidding process. In December 2020, contract for a coal handling terminal at the Vishakapatnam Port Authority that was being operated by a unit of APSEZ was terminated.

The Adani group company, however, claimed in the HC plea that its disqualification from the JNPA tender process was illegal.

With PTI inputs