The Uttarakhand government has formally launched an e-procurement system with the objective of processing all types of tenders through an online portal.

Launching the system here yesterday, Chief Minister B C Khanduri said the system would directly benefit the common man and users of the tender portal.

He directed officials to organise training programmes for employees and make them proficient in the use of the system.

He said the system would come in handy in fostering a culture of good governance, clean and transparent administration and accountability.

Additional Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain said the tender portal has been launched after a comprehensive exercise, following which a government order was issued in July this year to implement the e-procurement system in Uttarakhand.

Under its provisions, all orders for goods and services for Rs 5 lakh and above and all works contracts worth Rs 1 crore and above for all departments would be awarded through the e-procurement system.

However, for the PWD, the limit for such works tenders has been raised to Rs 2 crore and above.

The departments covered under the system in the first phase include irrigation, secondary education, medical and health, forests, rural engineering service, Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam, power, GMVN, KMVN, tourism, animal husbandry and the PWD.

The State Finance Department has been made the nodal department for implementation of the e-procurement system, while the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the nodal implementing agency. The portal was funded by the government of India as a Mission Mode project under the e-governance programme.

About 20 tenders worth about Rs 100 crore are being floated through this portal.