The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld the Maharashtra government’s decision to grant Adani Properties Private Limited the contract for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, dismissed a petition from UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation, which had contested the tender process.
The court stated that the petition lacked substance, noting, “The grounds raised in the petition lack force and effort. The challenge to the government’s action of cancelling the earlier tender and issuing a fresh tender award fails.”
Adani Group secured the 259-hectare redevelopment project in the 2022 tender process with a Rs 5,069 crore bid. By contrast, Seclink Technologies had offered Rs 7,200 crore during the 2018 tender. However, the Maharashtra government annulled the 2018 tender and initiated a new one in 2022, citing changed circumstances.
The state government explained the cancellation by pointing to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the addition of 45 acres of land from Indian Railways for redevelopment. These changes necessitated a fresh tender with revised conditions.
Seclink Technologies contested both the cancellation of the earlier tender and the awarding of the new one to Adani.
However, the government countered that no contractual agreement had been established with Seclink under the 2018 tender, which was never finalized. Officials also emphasized the transparency of the 2022 tender process and highlighted that Seclink had the opportunity to participate by submitting a bid aligned with the updated requirements.
The court found no evidence of favoritism towards Adani Group and upheld the government’s decision, citing economic and logistical justifications for the tender’s reissuance.
This ruling underscores the government’s discretion to adapt to evolving circumstances and ensure public interest in major projects. By validating the tender process, the court reinforced principles of fairness and accountability in urban redevelopment initiatives like Dharavi.
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