M/S R.S. Enterprise and 3 Ors. v. the State of Assam and Anr.
Case brief
What is this about?
Blacklisting; debarment; automatic debarment illegal; school uniform tender; Siksha Setu registration; Samagra Shiksha Assam; Guidelines dated 08.08.2025 Clause H(1)(c)-(d); Guidelines dated 04.12.2024 Clause I Sub-Clauses (10) and (23); Minutes of Meeting 25.07.2025 estoppel superseded; principles of natural justice; Article 14; Article 21; Article 19(1)(g); show cause notice requirement; Gorkha Security Services (2014) 9 SCC 105; Assam Public Procurement Act 2017; Assam Public Procurement Rules 2020; free school uniforms Class I to VIII; lab test failure report 20.03.2025; vendor exclusion; future procurement; Gauhati High Court; Devashis Baruah, J.; batch of seven writ petitions disposed 04.11.2025.
What did the court decide?
Batch disposed with directions: (i) participation of petitioners in WP(C) Nos.4987/2025, 5168/2025, 5183/2025 and 5245/2025 made absolute, with deemed Siksha Setu registration from the date of the Coordinate Bench's interim permission, and respondents directed to register them within 10 days of service of certified copy on respondent No.2; (ii) the enclosure to the communication dated 20.03.2025 not to prejudice petitioners in WP(C) No.5406/2025; (iii) no effective orders for the current process for petitioners in WP(C) Nos.5574/2025 and 5532/2025, but they cannot be debarred from future procurement processes till lawful debarment/blacklisting orders are passed, subject to other eligible conditions; (v) findings not to preclude the respondents from initiating blacklisting/debarment steps if so advised, per law; (vi) no costs. Entitlement to supply orders or correctness of tender rejection expressly left undecided.