BENGALURU: With various government departments failing to upload details regarding tenders awarded and works being implemented to the Karnataka Public Procurement Portal (KPPP), Finance Secretary (Budget and Allocation) PC Jaffer has said that funds will be released only if uploading is completed.
Of the 36,706 tendered works, details of only 505 have been uploaded. In 2023, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the portal and introduced a contract management module to track projects worth Rs 50 lakh and above being implemented across the state.
This was introduced in the Public Works, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Water Resources departments, and in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on a pilot basis.
In July 2024, a notification was issued by the Finance Department to upload details right from inviting tenders to clearance of bills. In the previous system, there was no mechanism to monitor work on the projects.
Sources said officials had to spend a lot of time checking papers related to various projects and bills for the works implemented. Later, the bills and papers related to development projects had to be submitted to the auditor general. “We have made it online. One need not carry papers now. It will help officials to know the financial status and physical progress of the project under implementation,” the sources said.
‘Association members fear bills will not be cleared on time’
Despite the notification, the officials failed to upload details related to the projects being implemented by their departments. In the notification, Jaffer pointed out that of the 36,709 tenders invited, only details related to 509 have been uploaded.
The chief secretary has directed his department to release funds only to the projects that have been uploaded to the module, he stated. Recently, the Karnataka Contractors ‘Association wrote to Siddaramaiah, stating that pending bills amounting to Rs 33,000 crore have not been cleared.
The association members also met officials of the Finance Department and raised the issue of uploading project details to the portal (a provision has been made for contractors to upload details pertaining to certain projects being implemented by them). “The association members fear that their bills will not be cleared on time. Our intention is not to delay, but bring in transparency. Contractors are not against this, but they are seeking time. We will bring this to the CM’s notice in a day or two,’’ the sources said.