1` IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR PIL No. 45/2010 Vijay Kamalkishore Agrawal .vs.The State of Maharashtra and others. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, appearances, Court's orders Court's or Judge's or directions and Registrar's orders. Orders. Mr. R.L.Khapre, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. N.W.Sambre, G.P. For R-1. Mr. C.S.Kaptan, Advocate for R- 2 and 3. Mr. N.A.Gaikwad, Advocate for R-4. CORAM : V.C.DAGA & A.B.CHAUDHARI,JJ DATE : 16.12.2010 Perused petition. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner. This petition is directed against the action of the Akola Municipal Corporation in the matter of awarding contract in favour of respondent no. 4 with respect to the collection of Octroi. The factual matrix reveals that as per the guidelines laid down by the State Government, the Municipal Councils and Corporations are permitted to issue tender for appointment of agents to collect octroi. As per guidelines framed by the State Government, the Municipal Authorities are supposed to fix upset price 10% higher than the contracted amount in the preceding financial year. If one goes through the figures, then one finds that in the previous year the 2` contracted amount was in the sum of Rs. 29.61 crores. If it is increased by 10%, then the amount would be Rs. 33 crores. The upset price ought to have been either Rs. 33 crores or around thereof. However, the Municipal Corporation, with a view to get better deal, sought to fix upset price more 20% more than the contracted amount of the previous year, with the result; Municipal Corporation did not get any offer to reach the upset price fixed in the tender. However, after negotiations the contracted amount could be settled at Rs. 34.40 crores, which answers the guidelines laid down by the State Government as referred hereinabove. In the above peculiar facts and circumstances of case, since the contracted amount is beyond Rs. 33 crore ( which could have been the upset price), we do not find any fault with the decision of the Municipal Corporation in accepting the said subject tender which is above the upset price which ought to have been determined by the Corporation. Since the tender acceptance is in consonance with the guidelines laid down by the State Government, it was not be necessary for the Corporation to approach the State Government for prior approval. 3` In the above view of the matter, the petition is devoid of any substance, as such it is liable to be dismissed with no order as to costs. JUDGE JUDGE patle