The Sindh High Court has observed that public procurement is not meant to be hidden behind a cloak of invisibility. Dismissing petitions against the process of procurement tenders for supplying dietary articles/cooked food to six out of 22 prison facilities in Sindh, a high court division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Jawad Akbar Sarwana directed that the complaint redressal committee decide the relevant complaint after providing an opportunity of hearing of relevant parties and decide the same within three weeks.
The court observed that inaction of CRC to call two other participating bidders for hearing constituted a violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution.It said superior courts have pointed out that merely calculating the cost of three meals per prisoner falls short of ensuring a nutritious diet that adequately meets inmates’ dietary needs. The court observed that if a contractor strays from the dietary plan or serves substandard food, their contract can be justly cancelled.
