K'taka unveils e-procurement platform

In an effort to ensure transparency in development works, Karnataka on Monday announced the implementation of an end-to-end electronic procurement platform as part of its e-governance initiative in association with HP India.

With this, processes like publishing of tenders, bidding for projects, empanelment of suppliers and contractors, contract management and other procedures will go online.

It can be used by all agencies in the state as a shared infrastructure. Governor Rameshwar Thakur, who launched the system, contended that it will be the first of its kind for government agencies in the country.

Of the 11 government departments notified to 'go live' in the e-procurement system, the following six agencies have started using it: Public Works Department, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Karnataka Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society, Krishna Jala Bhagya Nigama Ltd, Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd and Centre for E-governance.

The e-procurement system acts as a single platform to handle works, goods and services procurement, and tender documents can be downloaded for free from the website. Those bidding for tenders can pay a nominal processing fee. All tenders floated by government agencies will be available on the platform.

It offers quite a few benefits to contractors interested in taking up development works. The suppliers registered on the unified e-procurement platform can participate in all tenders floated by government agencies.

The interested firms can submit their bids electronically over the internet without having to visit government offices, according to state e-governance department officials.

The earnest money deposit (EMD) payment can be made as well as refunded over the internet. Contractors can submit EMD electronically too.

The EMD can be paid through credit card, direct debit, RBI's National Electronic Fund Transfer System and Over the Counter (OTC) mode at 300 designated Axis Bank branches across the country.

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act 1999 has been amended to enable the implementation of the unified e-procurement platform. A Steering Committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, has been authorised by the state cabinet, to monitor the implementation of the system.

The government has signed an agreement with HP India to implement the e-procurement system. HP India will be responsible for day-to-day maintenance of e-procurement software and hardware infrastructure. It will also train government officials and contractors on the processes involved.

This is the latest IT initiative from the state. Earlier, it had implemented Bhoomi (computerisation of land records), Kaveri (Karnataka Valuation and Electronic Registration for online property registration), Khajane (online state treasury computerisation project), BangaloreOne (unified citizen services centres), Nemmadi (rural citizen services), human resources management system and computerisation of commercial taxes department and the regional transport offices.

However, Karnataka, which has been pioneering e-governance in the country, has lost its lead to other states.

The state, which stood second in the list of the best e-governed states in the Dataquest-IDC e-Governed States Survey in 2007, has now slipped to a humbling ninth position among the 20 in the third survey for 2008.

According to the survey, the last two governments in Karnataka have scored miserably in using information technology for the various e-governance initiatives as also in attracting new IT companies to the state.