Set to bring in transparency and weed out corruption in procurement, Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed all the departments, organization and autonomous bodies to register with Government e-Marketplace (GeM).

These entities of Jammu and Kashmir administration have been mostly procuring goods and services through local markets and marketing bidding.

All administrative departments are directed that government organizations, including autonomous bodies, should immediately register with GeM for procurement, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Arun Kumar Mehta said in an order. The attention of all the administrative departments is invited to the circular regarding procurement of goods & services through the GeM portal, he added.

Some of the departments have brought into the notice of the Finance Department that while purchasing through GeM some items are at significantly higher rates than market rates, Mehta said.

All departments are, therefore, directed to take into consideration while buying from a single vendor shall generally be avoided, and the department shall not split the requirements which are against the principles of financial propriety, he noted.

As per the order, it is directed that the number of vendors on GeM is large enough for the discovery of competitive price and specifications shall be laid down to meet functional requirements without being restrictive as per CVC guidelines.
It is said that generally, the items are available at GeM at the rates lesser than the market rates. However, if the rates at GeM are higher, the same shall be brought into the notice of the GeM authorities and Finance department, it added.

The order said all the principles of financial propriety shall be adhered to for the procurement of goods. All the administrative departments will furnish the list of items that are not available on GeM or are costlier than the prevailing market price to the finance department.