Chennai, Apr 25 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the state School Education Department to appoint people who have knowledge of Tamil or the local language in the area where the school is located while choosing private firms engaged in security services, cleaning, and maintenance.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy directed the appropriate Tender Floating Committee to apply its mind and appropriately frame the conditions taking into account all the material, including the criteria adopted by other departments, in the best interests of the work to be done.

The Tamil Nadu School Education Department has, for the first time, invited tenders for housekeeping, sanitary, and security services in all the schools under it. The criteria for the bidders is that they should have operated in an area of 25 lakh square feet with a turn over of Rs 50 crore in the last three years and have an employee strength of 5,000.

An organisation, Quality Property Management Services Pvt Ltd moved the Madras High Court against it but a single judge bench dismissed the petition.

When the appeal petition had come before the division bench, Additional Advocate General, J. Raveendran submitted that by virtue of the pre bid meeting, the conditions have been diluted - the area from 25 lakh square feet to 10 lakh square feet, the turnover from Rs 50 crore to Rs 30 crore, and the number of personnel from 5,000 to 3,000.

The division bench refused to accept the explanation made by the AAG and questioned why the tender criteria was diluted. It set aside the single bench order and quashed the tender notification.