At present, each government department has its own registered list of contractors who bid for department tenders. The list includes many criminals who rule the roost in the procurements. “Once we do away with these lists and come up with an eligibility criteria open for companies and new individuals, anti-social elements will be eliminated,” said a senior government official.

On a four month trial basis, the government has introduced e-tendering in two important departments, Public Works and Printing and Stationery. They have started carrying out publication of tenders along with electronic bidding. The evaluation of the tenders, however, is still being done manually. “By September 30, these departments will also have e-evaluation of tenders”, said V N Garg, Principal Secretary, IT and Electronics. By then,

e-tendering will also start in two other major departments, Irrigation and Medical and Health.

To ensure proper implementation of e-procurement, Chief Secretary A K Gupta has constituted a State Steering Committee headed by the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner. The committee will function like a ‘central technical unit’ and each department will work under its guidance for the procurements.

The government targets to introduce this process in all the departments from the next fiscal year.

The efforts in this direction have been lauded by Joel A Turkwitz, the Procurement Reform Coordinator (Asia Pacific Region), World Bank, and B K Gairola, the Director of General National Information Centre.