UP to go high-tech with e-tenders

Lucknow, July 5 (UNI) Taking serious note of involvement of criminals and mafias in the tender procedures, the Uttar Pradesh government has come up with an e-tendering procedure which will be implemented in the state from April 1, 2009.

Addressing a one-day state level workshop for the implementation of e-procurement system organised at the Hotel Taj here today, the UP chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta said the state government has taken several steps to simplify administrative procedures by adopting Information Technology (IT) to benefit the commonman at large.

It is the need of the hour to simplify the administrative procedures through new and simple process, Mr Gupta said.

For the purpose, the state steering committee had been formed under the chairmanship of Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner.

Giving a real shape to the commitment of providing transparent services to the general public, the UP government has started its work and will complete e-procurement implementation by September 30 in the six departments--Public works, IT and electronics, Medical and health, printing and stationary, directorate of industries and world bank and external aided project.

However, other subjects will be brought under the system during the next financial year, he said.

He further said the e-procurement system would effectively check the ''mafiaraj'' in the tender procedures and others would also be able to participate in the allotment process.

The state government does not want to restrict itself to the tendering process itself, instead it intends to extend itself up to post-tendering and management to benefit the people of rural segment, he stressed.

The digital signatures would be neccessary and the entire system would be available on the Internet for the people, he added.

The principal secretary to the CM Shailesh Krishan and principal secretary PWD Ravindra Singh also addressed the workshop.

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