To prevent fraud while awarding tenders in Maharashtra, the State Government has directed all departments to float e-tenders having a contract value of more than Rs 10 lakh.

The new rule would be applicable from February 1.

At present, the rule mandates all departments to bring out e-tenders for contracts more than Rs 50 lakh.

A press statement, issued by the Chief Minister’s office, said that in August 2010, tenders worth more than Rs 50 lakh were moved to the e-tender platform, which helped streamline the tendering process. By reducing the cap from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, the new rule aims to bring greater transparency in awarding tenders.

Till date, 3,708 tenders from 51 State Government departments and corporations have been hosted on the servers, of which, 2,247 have awarded, the release said.

To follow Centre’s norms

The State Government will be following the Centre’s norms and the National Informatics Centre’s (NIC) methodology while hosting the tenders on the server.

At present, all e-tenders are hosted on Sify Next Tenders servers, but as a pilot, 600 tenders would be hosted on a new portal — www.mahatenders.gov.in — which has been designed, developed and hosted by NIC.

The eSubmission tender system on the portal enables a contractor to download the tender free of cost and then submit the bids online through the same portal. There is also a bidders’ manual on the portal to guide contractors with the bidding process.

rahul.wadke@thehindu.co.in