Tender Committee

  Role of Tender Committee

          The system of Tender Committee consists of an officer of the user Department, a Finance Officer and an officer of some other department. It is expected to obtain value for money. In the case of Private Sector, the system of buying and selling is regulated presumably to achieve utmost economy and improve profitability. There is not question of public accountability. However, in case of Public Sector Undertaking, Railways and the Government of India, the concept of Public accountability flows from the provisions of the Constitution. All Railway earning flow into the Consolidated Fund of India and all expenditures are incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India. Under the circumstances, utmost economy is to be observed in expenditure. The system of tendering is expected to ensure this.

 Under the system of tendering followed in the Government, adequate opportunities are to be given to all eligible contractors/suppliers to undertake work or supply materials to the Government. Normally, open Tenders are invited for works. In the cases of urgency, limited tenders are invited. Only in very extreme cases to be recorded in writing and with the prior approval of the General Manager, Single Tender can be invited (Para 1211-E).

FORMATION OF TENDER COMMITTEE:

          The tender Committee consists of three members:-

One from the User Department concerned with the work, the Finance Officer concerned with the work, and, the third member to be nominated by the competent authority. In cases where General Manager is the competent authority to accept tenders, the General Manger's approval should be taken for the nomination of the 3rd member. So far as the member of the User Department and the Associate Finance Officer are concerned, there can be no variation. The Tender Committee, to consider tenders, will have to be so constituted that an authority holding powers for recommending the tenders by virtue of his...