An undertaking to this effect was given by MSEB lawyer, Atul Rajadhyaksha to the Bombay High Court in a case filed against MSEB's awarding of contracts to Power Plant Performance Improvement Ltd (PPPIL), a 50 per cent joint venture with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Siemens.

The case involving MSEB had come up for hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice M B Shah and Justice S Radhakrishnan on Monday when the MSEB counsel made the undertaking. Congress MLA Digvijay Khanwilkar had moved court early this year, challenging the MSEB board's decision to award Rs 187 crore worth of retrofitting contracts of all the 15 turbines to PPPIL when tenders were invited for only one.

While the HC had observed that the contract awarded was arbitrary, irrational and unreasonable, it refused to stay the work on the seven turbineswhich had already begun. A similar petition for stay was also dismissed by the Supreme Court in October.

The HC had directed on September 1, 1998 that the MSEB invite fresh offers for the remaining works on the same terms and conditions on which the contract was awarded to PPPIL.

On Monday, MSEB counsel Rajadhyaksha submitted that all preparations were made for fresh offers and a proposal was forwarded to the Power Finance Corporation for approval.