Tata Motors on Tuesday moved the Bombay High Court challenging its disqualification from the tender process for 1,400 electric buses for the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). A vacation bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and Anil Pansare directed BEST to submit its reply to the plea challenging the disqualification.

Tata Motors has claimed that the BEST had erroneously labelled its bid "technically non-responsive" for allegedly deviating from tender specifications. As per the plea filed by the auto major, BEST had published a notice on February 26 this year for a two-bid tender for the operation of 1,400 single-decker AC electric buses in Mumbai and its suburbs.

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Tata Motors had submitted its technical and financial bid on April 25, the plea said. However, on May 6, the BEST published a technical suitability evaluation of the tender and wrongly declared Tata Motors' bid technically non-responsive, alleging that the deviation mentioned in respect of operating range was not acceptable. It also claimed that acceptance of TOTO conditions was not submitted.

Tata Motors in its plea has also sought a stay on the tender process. The high court will hear the matter further on May 23.

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