Marketplace (GeM) not taking off in Odisha, departments have been advised to chalk out programme for on-the-spot registration of all offices in this portal.
Even as the GeM is the most transparent platform for procurement of services and goods for the Government with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s thrust on 5T, things are not moving in right direction, feel senior officials, those handling GeM in the State.
While the GeM has already made procurement worth Rs 33,687 crore in the country, in Odisha the transactions through the portal has been only about Rs 90 crore.
The State Government had signed a MoU in March, 2018 with GeM for on boarding on GeM procurement of goods and services. Accordingly, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was prescribed for opening of GeM pool account and singing MoU with GeM authorized banks.
In order to facilitate e Procurement through GeM, the State GeM Procurement Unit (SGeMPU) was set up and handholding support is being provided to the officials of various departments.
Training and knowledge care support have been extended by the Directorate of Treasuries and Inspection to the officials for registration and procurement.
Latest report reveals that while only 389 primary users and 529 secondary users have been registered in GeM, in the country, more than 38,000 users have been registered and more than 2.7 lakh sellers and service providers have registered in GeM.
Even as the GeM is making so much of progress at national level, its growth at State level is lagging behind badly, admit officials.
Cumulative purchases of Rs 90.40 crore have been made on GeM through placement of 1,810 orders in the State.
In fact, the GeM is benefitting the MSME Sector more and 48 per cent business of the sector is being done through GeM.
Against this backdrop, the MSME sector in Odisha would have been the biggest beneficiary if officials had taken little more interest in this regard. This is the reason for which GeM operation is lagging behind in the State, admits a senior official.
Meanwhile, the State Government in Department of Finance has advised the all the administrative departments to chalk out programme for on the spot registration of all the offices under their administrative control in assistance with SGeMPU for accelerating procurement on GeM. In order to promote participation of local sellers in GeM, officials have been advised to draw programmes for registration of regular suppliers of goods and services of their respective departments on GeM portal, said sources.https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif
Principal Secretary Finance, Ashok Kumar Meena has asked the senior officials of the Department of Finance to provide handholding support to the officials of various departments in this regard, said sources.
