The Bombay High Court (HC) has upheld the Central Railway (CR)’s 2018 policy on shoeshine licences. The policy requires licences to be awarded through an open bidding process. The Bombay Shoe-Shine Workers Co-operative Society had filed a petition against this system, but now the court dismissed it.
Earlier, licences were given to selected cooperative groups. The new system allows all eligible societies to take part. The case began after Central Railway invited fresh bids in 2022. The petitioner society challenged the policy. The society has 35 members. They work at stations such as Sandhurst Road, Masjid Bandar, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Advocate Jane Cox appeared for the petitioners. She argued that the new policy would harm their standard of living. She said it went against the original aim of providing employment to weaker sections. She also said many members are elderly and would face serious problems if relocated.
A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande heard the case. The court said the petitioners cannot claim a monopoly over the work. It added that their experience should still be considered. The court found that the Railways were justified in introducing open bidding for awarding contracts.
The railway administration defended the policy. It said the benefits of the scheme cannot be limited to a few societies. It stated that there are many such groups. Open bidding allows all eligible societies to compete. It also said that the petitioner society can also take a part in the tender process.
The court agreed with the Railways. It said the policy promotes an open and inclusive system. It found that the 2018 policy balances livelihood opportunities with fair distribution of public contracts. The court rejected the petition. It allowed the railways to continue with the tender process. It also ordered that minimum wages must be a condition in these contracts.
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