Munde effect? Maharashtra govt to tighten procurement rules

Mumbai, Jul 2: Against the backdrop of alleged irregularities in purchases by departments led by BJP Ministers in Maharashtra, the Government has set up a five-member high-level committee to suggest ways to bring transparency and efficiency in procurements.

"I have appointed a committee of five secretaries to suggest measures for bringing transparency and efficiency in procurements of Government departments in pursuance to the promise in the white paper," Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters here.

The panel will be headed by the Principal Secretary (Finance), he said. To ensure greater transparency, the earlier limit to award work contracts without e-tendering and based on the rate contract system has been brought down to Rs 50 lakh from the earlier Rs 1 crore, Mungantiwar said.

Meanwhile, the Finance Department has issued a circular putting a cap on the purchase of items by each department, an official said. "For instance, say 100 work orders in a year were possible without inviting tenders.

Now for a single item, the cap will be Rs 50 lakh. Not more than four such items worth Rs 2 crore can be purchased in a year without inviting tenders under the rate contract system," the official explained.

He further said when a department has to purchase items that are not under the rate contract system and the quantity is more than three lakh, it would have to call for tenders though the financial limit has been set at Rs 50 lakh.

Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde and Education Minister Vinod Tawde have come under cloud over allegations of irregularities in awarding contracts.

The Munde-led department has been accused of corruption in awarding contracts worth Rs 206 crore for buying a range of goods for schools for tribal students.

The Finance Department has sought a probe into allegations of irregularities in a Rs 191 crore contract awarded by Tawde's School Education Department without e-tendering.

The contract, cleared by Tawde, was put on hold after the Finance Department objected to it.

PTI