Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 22 July 2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: G Satyanarayan (appellant) vs Odisha State Warehousing Corporation (respondent) and others.
  • Appeal Details: Civil Appeal No. 10259/2026 (SLP (C) 27551/2026, Diary No. 66929/2025) filed against the impugned order dated 11‑01‑2024 passed by the High Court of Orissa at Cuttack in WP(C) No. 16324/2018, which dismissed the writ petition.
  • Writ Petition Background: The appellant sought quash of Letter No. 783/OSWC/Com/TR/TEN/02/2013 dated 21‑02‑2018 issued by OSWC for realization of differential amount for handling and transportation operations at three warehouses for the period 01‑08‑2015 to 31‑03‑2017. A further prayer was made to quash the decision of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for realization of differential amount of the extended‑period 2013 tender from the bills of the 2017 tender.
  • High Court Proceedings: The High Court dismissed the writ petition on 31‑05‑2021 relying on an order passed in another writ petition. The appellant challenged this in SLP (C) No. 12387/2021, obtaining liberty on 05‑01‑2022 to file a Review Petition before the High Court. The Review Petition was allowed, and the writ petition was restored.
  • Representations & Interlocutory Applications: The appellant submitted two representations dated 11‑07‑2023 concerning deductions from bills generated for the tender executed on 01‑04‑2017 (extended period works under the agreement dated 26‑06‑2013). As no reply was received, the appellant filed I.A. No. 11612/2021 seeking a direction to the Managing Director of OSWC and the General Manager of FCI to decide the representations.
  • High Court’s Reasoning: The High Court noted that a similar representation of the appellant had been disposed of on 13‑07‑2018 by OSWC in compliance with an order dated 16‑05‑2018, and therefore refused to entertain I.A. No. 11612/2021.
  • Amendment Application: The appellant filed an amendment application I.A. No. 9956/2022 seeking to quash the order dated 13‑07‑2018. The High Court did not consider this amendment.
  • Supreme Court Observation: The Court found merit in the appellant’s submission that the High Court failed to consider the amendment application on its own merits.

Final Outcome

  • The appeal is allowed.
  • The High Court is directed to allow the amendment application I.A. No. 9956/2022 and thereafter decide the writ petition on its own merits in accordance with law.
  • All issues are left open for determination by the High Court.
  • The respondents are granted a period of six weeks from receipt of a copy of this order to file their counter‑affidavits before the High Court, raising any contentions including limitation issues.
  • Delay is condoned, leave is granted, and any pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of.

Topics: Court Proceedings, State Procurement Dispute