Food contracts: Gujarat HC raps state govt

The Gujarat high court on Friday criticized the state government for awarding food contracts of schools, anganwadis, and hostels in tribal areas to private contractors instead of women self-help groups. It also stayed new tenders issued by the government.

While staying the tenders, the bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri directed the state government to ensure that "no child in any tribal or other school is deprived of routine food hitherto supplied in any manner".

The dispute arose after two women's groups filed petitions in the HC through advocate S P Hasurkar.

They complained that the state authorities, including the Gujarat State Tribal Education Society, have been preventing the women's collectives from getting contracts by floating tailor-made tenders.

Contracts of 48 schools out of 102 adarsh vidhyalayas, government hostels, eklavya shala etc. in tribal areas have been given to private contractors.

 This is in violation of the Supreme Court's express directions that the work should be given to women's groups and not to private contractors.

After hearing the self-help groups, who were denied work orders despite succeeding in the tendering process, the bench remarked that it was a clear case of the government flouting its resolution and the Supreme Court's orders.

The bench also noted that the government had been fined Rs 10,000 in the past for cancelling work orders given to women's groups and favouring private contractors.

The judges said that typical tenders are floated to oust women from the process.