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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed departments to complete the tender approval process within a maximum of 51 to 66 days, aimed at expediting development and construction works and preventing delays in administrative procedures.
Under the revised timelines, tenders where there is no provision for pre-qualification of contractors and only a financial bid is involved will have to be processed from the field or regional office level through the Secretariat and Finance Department within a maximum of 51 days. For tenders requiring pre-qualification of contractors and involving both technical and financial bids, the entire approval process, including scrutiny at various levels, will have to be completed within a maximum of 66 days. The decision comes against the backdrop of the existing system under which around 120 days was generally considered for completing the tender approval process. The revised timelines are intended to ensure that development and construction works commence without unnecessary administrative delays. The government has also reduced the tender validity period from 120 days to 90 days. The new directions further state that negotiations should be avoided in cases where more than one tender has been received after giving wide publicity as prescribed under the rules, except in unavoidable circumstances. Where negotiations are considered necessary, they will be conducted at only one level - that of the competent authority. Negotiations at multiple levels will not be permitted under the revised process. The Chief Minister has also directed that if a proposal is not disposed of within the prescribed timeframe, the reasons for the delay must be recorded at the concerned level and responsibility for the delay will be fixed on the concerned officer. The decision further provides that where delays are caused because a proposal is incomplete, responsibility for such delays will rest with the level from which the proposal was submitted. The revised process is expected to facilitate faster approval and commencement of infrastructure and construction projects across Gujarat, including works related to roads, bridges and government buildings. The government said the streamlined process is intended to make tender approvals faster and more transparent, enabling projects to begin within stipulated timelines. The move is also aimed at ensuring that citizens receive access to public infrastructure and services at an earlier stage and improving the ease of living across the state. (ANI)
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