North body to combine epayment gateway with tendering process

NEW DELHI: To make the tendering process more transparent, allow submission of all kinds of fees online and minimise human interference at any stage, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has introduced the concept of ‘tendering with electronic-payment gateway integration’.

“So far we were using the concept for other purposes but now decision has been taken to integrate the e-payment gateway in tendering process as well,” said a senior North Corporation official.

Under the concept, interested parties can apply for project, submit their form and document fees online and after which they will be provided a login ID and password.

“So far the participants need to visit the offices to submit the demand draft and apply for the tendering process related to any project. The foolproof system is implemented as per the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines and can’t be manipulated at any stage,” said North Corporation mayor Preeti Aggarwal.

The development is likely to come as a big relief for contractors demanding improvement in the e-tendering process of civic agencies.

“By using the login ID, participants can get information about all aspects of procurement, including tender preparation, tender upload, document purchase, bid preparation, bid submission, evaluation, comparison and tender award. In other words, no manual intervention will happen till the tenders are open,” said a senior North Corporation official.

The new solution will also minimise the paperwork for the firms and facilitate more speedy exchange of information. The fees of those who will not be selected will be refunded online immediately.

The move is inspired by the Centre’s concept of ease of doing business.

The system didn’t cost anything to the North Corporation and other civic agencies will adopt the method soon.