Chennai Fire Works Dealers Welfare Association vs The Principal Secretary to Government

WP No. 40682 of 2026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 28-10-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE P.T. ASHA
WP No. 40682 of 2026
CNR:{HCMA012375942026}
AND
WMP NO. 45630 OF 2026
Chennai Fire Works Dealers Welfare
Association
Rep. by its Executive President, R.Natarajan,
No.60/42, Bunder Street, Chennai- 01.
..Petitioner(s)
Vs
1. The Principal Secretary to Government
Tourism, Culture, Religious Endowments,
And Chairman, Tamil Nadu Tourism
Development Corporation,
Fort St. George, Secretary, Chennai-09.
2. The District Collector
Chennai District Collector Office,
Singaravellar Malligai, Chennai- 01.
3. The Commissioner
Corporation of Chennai,
Rippon Buildings, Chennai-03.
4. The Commissioner of Police
Greater Chennai City,
Vepery, Chennai-07.
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
5. The Managing Director
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development
Corporation,
No.2, Wallajah Salai,Chennai-02.
6. The General Manager
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development
Corporation,
No.2, Wallajah Salai,Chennai-02.
..Respondent(s)
Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of
India for issue of Writ of Mandamus, directing the Official respondents to
consider the petitioner representations dated 14.07.2026 and 20.07.2026
and consequently direct the respondent 1 to 6 to provide earmarked space
for petitioner association for selling fire crackers every year during Diwali
Festivals based on the previous orders of this Court at island Grounds,
Chennai and to grant such further or other orders or other reliefs as this
Court.
For Petitioner(s): Mr. M.Vijay Anand
For Respondent(s): Mrs.Inthu Karunakaran
Spl.Govt.Pleader For R1 and R2
Mr.Durai Gunasekaran G
Government Advocate (Crl.Side) For R4
Mr.Abdul Hameed,
Additional Advocate General
assisted by
Mr.K.S.Punithan
Standing Counsel For R5 and R6
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
Order
This writ petition has been filed for the following relief:
“To issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the
respondents to consider the petitioner
representations dated 14.07.2026 and 20.07.2026
and consequently direct respondents 1 to 6 to
provide earmarked space for petitioner association
for selling fire crackers every year during Diwali
Festival based on the previous orders of this Court
at Island Grounds, Chennai.”
2. When the matter had come up for admission on 13.10.2026,
the learned Additional Advocate General appearing for respondents 5 and
6 submitted that pursuant to the representation dated 20.07.2026 submitted
by the petitioner-Association and the order passed in W.P.No.34910 of
2026, a joint meeting was held between the petitioner and the respondents
wherein, it was decided that the allotment would be made on appropriate
commercial terms through a competitive tender process in order to ensure
transparency, maximise revenue to TTDC and minimise financial loss to
the Corporation. A letter in this regard was also forwarded to the
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
petitioner on 15.09.2026 wherein the association was directed to
participate in the e-tender process for conducting Diwali Crackers Fair at
Island Grounds. The learned Additional Advocate General had informed
that the tender notification would be published on 14.10.2026 through e-
tender as well as through publication in one issue of Tamil Daily as well as
in one English Daily having wide circulation.
3. During the course of the arguments the main grievance that was
agitated by the learned counsel for petitioner was that there was no
transparency in the tender process. Therefore, the Court had decided to
monitor the process and the matter was adjourned to 16.10.2026.
4. On 16.10.2026, when the matter was taken up for hearing, this
Court was informed that the tender notification had been published in
Dinamalar, a Tamil daily, and The Hindu, an English daily. The following
tender schedule had been notified:
Description Tender Schedule
Conduct of “Diwali
Crackers Fair 2026” for
sale of crackers in an
extent of 1,20,000 sq.ft
(Approx) area on War
Memorial side of the
EMD Rs.50,000/- to be paid through
e-procurement portal
Uploading of e-Tender
through
https://tntenders.gov.in//
Bid Published Date 14.10.2026 at 12.00 Noon
Last Date for receiving 16.10.2026 at 11.00 AM
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
Island Grounds as per
the terms and
conditions prescribed
in the e-Tender
documents.
queries/clarifications
Pre-bid meeting date and
time
16.10.2026 at 11.00 AM
Address:Tamil Nadu Tourism
Development Corporation,
TourismComplex,No.2,Wallajah
Road, Chennai-600002
e-Tender Bid Submission
Starting
14.10.2026 at 12.00 Noon
Last Date for Submission
of e-tender
22.10.2026 at 12.00 Noon
e-tender Technical Bid
Opening
23.10.2026 at 02.30 PM
e-Tender Financial Bid
Opening
To be intimated to technically
qualified bidders only
Submission of e-Tender,
Opening of Technical
&Financial Bid
Through TN Government e-
Tender website only
https://tntenders.gov.in//
It was brought to the notice of this Court that certain portions which had
been deleted from the earlier notification had been included in the present
publication. Accordingly, the following clauses were deleted:
“e-Tender Document Terms and Conditions
Page No.02, Last Para The managing Director, TTDC reserves the rights to
modify the terms and conditions and either to accept or to reject any or all
Tenders without assigning any reasons.
Page No.04, General Terms and Conditions No.13 The Managing Director,
TTDC reserves the right or modify the terms and conditions and either to accept
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
or to reject any or all Tenders without assigning any reasons and right to call
any additional documents if required for verification.”
Further, it was directed that on the last of the date of submission of the
bids , ie. on 22.10.2026, the authority would receive it and the e-tender
would thereafter be placed before Mrs.M.Suba Anbumani, Registrar
(District Judiciary) who shall open the bids in the presence of the officials,
tenderers and one representative of the petitioner. The Officer was
directed to submit a tabulated statement of the bids on 27.10.2026 before
this Court.
5. When the matter had come up on 27.10.2026, Mrs.M.Suba
Anbumani, Registrar (District Judiciary) had submitted a report dated
26.10.2026 wherein she had stated that the following persons had
participatedin the tender process.
1. 1793615 - K.Arumuga Mudaliar and Co.
2. 1796152 - Sunlight World
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
6. When the matter was taken up for hearing today, Mrs. M. Suba
Anbumani, Registrar (District Judiciary), submitted a further report dated
28.10.2026, stating that, of the two bidders who had participated in the
tender process for the Diwali Crackers Fair 2026, M/s.K.Arumuga
Mudaliar and Co. had been found technically qualified. The report further
stated as follows:
“7. It is further submitted that at exactly 12:30 p.m. on
28.10.2026, in the presence of the General Manager, TTDC,
Chennai, other officials, the petitioner in the writ petition, his
counsel, and the Government Advocate, the process for opening
the financial bids for the tender "to conduct the Diwali
Crackers Fair 2026 for the sale of crackers at Island Ground"
commenced. Upon decryption of the bids, it was reflected in the
Tender Summary Report that only M/s. K. Arumuga Mudaliar &
Co. was admitted for the financial bid, while the other bidder,
M/s. Sunlight World, was rejected at the technical bid stage
with the remarks: "Bidder not fulfilled the eligibility criteria.
Hence Rejected.", as follows :
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
“9. It is submitted that as per the financial bid summary,
M/s. K. Arumuga Mudaliar & Co. (Bid ID: 1793615) quoted an
amount of 59,54,280/-Rupees Fifty-Nine Lakh Fifty-Four Thousand
Two Hundred and Eighty only for conducting the "Diwali Crackers
Fair 2026 for the sale of crackers on the War Memorial side of
Island Ground." It is further reported in the said summary sheet
that the Highest Amount Quoted was by M/s. K. Arumuga Mudaliar
& Co. Accordingly, the financial bid has been completed.”
7. In view of the subsequent developments, this writ petition is
disposed of, declaring M/s.K. Arumuga Mudaliar and Co. as the
successful bidder in the tender process for the Diwali Crackers Fair 2026.
It is needless to state that the respondents shall expedite the process of
issuing the letter of acceptance and granting the necessary permissions to
enable the petitioner to set up the shop at the earliest, and in any event,
not later than 01.11.2026, as the festival of Diwali falls on 08.11.2026.
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
8. This Court places on record its appreciation for the meticulous
and painstaking work done by Mrs.M.Suba Anbumani, Registrar
(District Judiciary). No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous
petition is closed.
28-10-2026
Index: Yes/No
Speaking/Non-speaking order
Neutral Citation: Yes/No
SRN
To
1. The Principal Secretary to Government
Tourism, Culture, Religious Endowments,
And Chairman, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation,
Fort St. George, Secretary, Chennai-09.
2. The District Collector
Chennai District Collector Office,
Singaravellar Malligai, Chennai- 01.
3. The Commissioner
Corporation of Chennai,
Rippon Buildings, Chennai-03.
4. The Commissioner of Police
Greater Chennai City,
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
Vepery, Chennai-07.
5. The Managing Director
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation,
No.2, Wallajah Salai,Chennai-02.
6. The General Manager
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation,
No.2, Wallajah Salai,Chennai-02.
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WP No. 40682 of 2026
P.T.ASHA J.
SRN
WP No. 40682 of 2026
AND
WMP NO. 45630 OF 2026
28-10-2026
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