CHENNAI: Two years after Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal was launched as an end-to-end solution for procurement of common use goods and services by government departments, Tamil Nadu Information Technology department is giving a major push for effective implementation of the initiative and has already undertaken 4,037 transactions to the tune of Rs 70 crore.
A top information technology department official told Express that efforts are on to train district officials on GeM, a national public procurement portal.“A major initiative was launched on September 12 under train the trainer's programme. We are particularly targeting treasuries and accounts and the finance department,” the official said. Under GeM, the plan is to completely automate procurement processes and systems and introduce greater accountability in public procurement across India.
The official said plans are also on to create master trainer in each department for effective implementation of marketplace. GeM is used by the Central and State government ministries and departments and public sector undertakings, autonomous institutions and local bodies. In just two years, GeM has recorded till date more than eight lakh transactions worth over Rs 12,239 crore across India. GeM has nearly 27,900 buyer organisations registered and about 1.43 lakh sellers and service providers offering more than 4.86 lakh products and services for online purchase. GeM contributes to approximately 20-25 per cent average overall savings to the government. As a national platform, scalability and stability of the platform is absolutely critical.
Currently, the Central and State governments along with banks and public sector units are undertaking national drive by organising workshops, roadshows, trainings, events and other activities, including buyer and seller registration. The drive is expected to be completed by October 17.