Taking its battle against corruption a step further, the UPA government has decided to codify the procurement procedure, taking away the purchasing power of ministers, heads of departments and public sector undertakings, for anything above Rs50 lakh.
Taking its battle against corruption a step further, the UPA government has decided to codify the procurement procedure, taking away the purchasing power of ministers, heads of departments and public sector undertakings, for anything above Rs50 lakh.
The Union cabinet on Thursday approved the Public Procurement Bill 2012, for introduction in the current session of Parliament. Human resources development minister Kapil Sibal hailed the Bill for helping check corruption by providing greater accountability, transparency, probity and enforceability of a regulatory framework in the high-stake government purchases.
The proposed law would create a statutory framework for public procurement envisaging a set of detailed guidelines, rules and model documents. It seeks to create a public procurement portal to provide complete transparency in all high-valued government purchases as also an independent mechanism of grievance redressal system, headed by a retired high court judge.
The Bill provides to debar bidders found engaged in corrupt practices, and proposes a jail term of six months to five years for public servants found guilty of demanding or accepting bribes from those bidding for government contacts.
The government expects the Bill will regulate purchases and also provide fair and equitable treatment to bidders, promoting competition, enhancing efficiency and economy, safeguarding integrity in the procurement process and enhancing public confidence in public procurement.
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