When Inviting Tenders, the State Becomes the Custodian of Public Trust and Must Act with Utmost Fairness and Transparency: Madhya Pradesh High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, in a significant ruling concerning a tender dispute for a residential-cum-commercial project in Gwalior, held that the State, while inviting tenders, functions as a repository of public faith and is bound to conduct the process with the highest standards of fairness, transparency and accountability. The Court cautioned that arbitrary cancellation of tenders after completion of the process severely undermines public confidence and fuels corruption, nepotism…