Under pressure, JMC launches e-tendering

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 8

The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has finally introduced e-tendering to ensure transparency in the tendering process. The JMC was being criticised for alleged favouritism while allotting work tenders. Joint Commissioner Works (JCW) will be the nodal officer for all work tenders of the JMC.

Sources said before the introduction of e-tendering process, there was no fixed criterion to allot work tenders, often resulting in poor execution of works in most of the wards of JMC.

There was no accountability in case of delay in process of works tenders. Pertinently, there are 71 wards falling within the limits of the JMC.

“From now on, the JCW is the nodal officer for all work tenders of the JMC and all tenders will be issued and managed by the JCW section to ensure their timely processing and final allotment under e-tendering process. Further, the nodal officer will use his own Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for the same.

No other DSC would be used for these tenders. Joint Commissioner (Administration) is the nodal officer/ purchase officer for all procurement/ services/ other tenders of the JMC,” sources said.

For any type of tenders, the requisite ground work will be done by the section concerned wherein the required data, along with the prospective bidders’ details, will be provided by the sectional head concerned. Thereafter, the Central Purchase Committee (CPC) will be convened to finalise the tender document.

If there is any delay in processing of the tenders, nodal officers will be held responsible. It will be part of their Annual Performance Reports, sources said.

When contacted, Joint Commissioner (Administration), JMC, said “The aim behind introducing e-tendering process is to ensure complete transparency. Not only that, many other initiatives are being taken to further bring improvement in the functioning of the department,” he added.