L&T moves SC against Malaysian firm, ONGC

NEW DELHI: Construction major Larsen and Toubro has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's order that directed ONGC to consider Malaysia-based Ramunia Fabricators Sdn Bhds' bid for development of an oil field in Mumbai offshore.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhan, while refusing to restrain ONGC from considering the bid posted the matter for hearing on May 13.

According to L&T, the High Court should not have asked the state-run exploration major to consider Ramunia's bid despite the fact that it violated the mandatory and essential terms of the tender.

It stated that while Malaysia-based Ramunia Fabricators Sdn Bhd had submitted its bid pursuant to ONGC's decision to invite bids in May 2007 for its B-22 field development project, the tender documents were submitted by its Hong Kong company - Ramunia Fabricators.

L&T said the Notice Inviting Tenders clearly specified that the bidding documents were non-transferable and should be submitted only in the name of the bidder or a consortium led by the bidder in whose name the biding documents were issued.

Besides, the respondents had attempted to influence the process of bid evaluation, bid comparison and contract-award decision by disclosing their price in correspondence, though their price bid was never opened, L&T alleged.