21.04.2026 Court No.25 D/L No.9 S. Gayen IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side WPA 9715 of 2026 Sankar Haldar Versus The Director, IIT, Kharagpur & Ors. Mr. S. Roychowdhury …for the Petitioner Mr. Rananeesh Guha Thakurta Ms. Senjuti Sengupta …for the Respondents 1. The petitioner has filed the present writ application only on the ground that in the Expression of Interest for running of various shops in the IIT Kharagpur Campus. It is mentioned that pre-bid meeting (date and venue) is March 31, 2026 at 3 pm in the Office of Dean, Administration, IIT Kharagpur but when the petitioner had been to the said office, it is found that the office was closed due to Mahavir Jayanti. The petitioner was waited up to 5 pm along with other participants but there was not pre-bid meeting. The petitioner has filed the present writ application challenging the action of the respondents that without the pre-bid meeting, the authorities are continuing with the Expression of Interest dated March 19, 2026. 2. Learned counsel for the respondent authorities has submitted the documents wherein it is mentioned that 2 the Chairman, CELC has issued a notice on March 24, 2026 by changing the venue of the pre-bid meeting from the Office of the Dean, Administration to the Office of the Commercial Establishment & Licensing Committee (CELC) on March 31, 2026 at 3 pm. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that as per the said notice altogether 7 bidders have participated in the said meeting and the minutes of the pre-bid meeting was recorded in writing. 4. This Court finds that the process of Expression of Interest is conducted through website but the change of venue of the pre-bid meeting was not uploaded in the website only it is mentioned that it was pasted in the notice board of the Dean Office as well as the notice board of the CELC Office. 5. Learned counsel for the respondent authorities have also taken instruction from the authorities and submits that the authorities were not published the change of venue of the pre-bid meeting in the website but the notice was pasted in the notice board of the CELC and the Office of the Dean and as per the notice, 7 bidders participated in the pre-bid meeting. 6. Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the respective parties, this Court finds that April 22, 2026 at 3 pm is the last date for submission of the EOI. The only grievance of the petitioner that 3 the petitioner could not get opportunity to participate in the pre-bid meeting. 7. Accordingly, the respondent authorities are directed to hold the pre-bid meeting at 4 pm today in the Office of the Commercial Establishment & Licensing Committee (CELC) and the petitioner is at liberty to attend the said pre-bid meeting. 8. With the above observation, WPA 9715 of 2026 is disposed of. 9. As the writ petition is disposed of at the motion stage without calling for any affidavit, the allegations made in the writ petition deemed to have been denied. 10. The authorities are directed to act upon the communication of the gist of the order by holding the pre-bid meeting at 4 pm. 11. Learned counsel for the respondents is at liberty to file the Vakalatnama by tomorrow in the department. 12. All parties shall act on the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this Court. 13. Urgent Photostat certified copy, if applied for, be given to the parties upon compliance with all formalities. (Krishna Rao, J.)