Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Monday launched e-tendering process for procurement of different commodities through the department of Information Technology in association with the National Informatics Centre.

Dhumal clicked the mouse making two tenders of Irrigation and Public health Department and one tender of Public Works Department valued at Rs 104 crore available for bids.

Chief Minister said that the e-procurement would not only bring about efficiency but also reduce paperwork through automated bid evaluation system. He said that the system would be error free and promote transparency, eliminating discretion and discrimination.

The process would promote fair competition, result in cost reduction, make bid/tender process more efficient and save man-hours wasted under the existing system, he said.

The e-tendering process had been estimated at about Rs 86,937 crore through NIC, while Himachal Pradesh would also be carrying e-tendering/biding through the major departments of Public Works, Irrigation and Public Health and Controller of Stores, he added.

Dhumal said government procurements in India constituted of about 13 per cent of the GDP, while the public procurement was estimated at about 25 per cent. He said about 15,000 tenders, with estimated value of Rs 2,000 crore were being floated in the state every year.

He said the integrated e-payment gateway with e-procurement system was likely to be started in the near future.

Rajneesh Kumar, Director of Information Technology, said the e-procurement system would promote efficiency, transparency and fair competition and reduce cost of the commodities and all departments would be brought under the ambit of the scheme in a phased manner.