CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Various Departments under the Government have to purchase different

types of Stores to discharge the duties and responsibilities assigned to
them. It is therefore imperative that uniform, systematic, efficient and cost
effective procedures, in accordance with the relevant rules and
regulations of the Government, are available to the Departments. The
delegated powers for procurement of Stores have to be exercised in
conformity with the orders and guidelines issued by competent authorities
coverings financial, vigilance, security, safety, countertrade and other
regulatory aspects. This Manual is intended to serve as the basic norms
and practices governing public procurement.

Transparency, Competition, Fairness and Elimination of

Arbitrariness

1.2 Public procurement activities should be conducted in a transparent

manner ensuring competition, fairness and elimination of arbitrariness in
the system, so as to enable the prospective tenderers to formulate
competitive tenders with confidence. Some of the important measures to
achieve the same and, thus, secure best value for the money spent are:

(i) The text of the tender document should be user-friendly, self-

contained, comprehensive, unambiguous, and relevant to the
objective of the purchase. The use of terminology used in common
parlance in the industry should be preferred.

(ii) The specifications of the required Stores should be framed giving

sufficient details in such a manner that it is neither too elaborately
restrictive as to deter potential tenderers or increase the cost of
purchase nor too sketchy to leave scope for sub-standard supply. The
specifications must meet the essential requirements of the user
department. Efforts should also be made to use standard
specifications, which are widely known to the industry.
(iii) The tender document should clearly mention the eligibility criteria to
1