Railways adopts single-window system for vendors' approval

The Indian Railways has adopted a single-window system for approval of vendors for procurements. As per the new policy a vendor, approved for an item by any of the vendor approving agency shall be considered an approved vendor by all railway units for that particular item.

New Delhi:The Indian Railways has adopted a single-window system for approval of vendors for procurements. As per the new policy a vendor, approved for an item by any of the vendor approving agency shall be considered an approved vendor by all railway units for that particular item.

As part of the endeavour to enhance "transparency, efficiency" and ease of doing business, the railways had taken the step to ease the procurement system, the Indian Railways said in a statement.

The Railways has made its procurement norms easier by allowing vendors who have been approved by one railway institution to be automatically eligible for supply of the same goods and services at other railway establishments.

It would do away with the need of approaching multiple vendor approving agencies by vendors for participating in railways tenders and also increase competition in public procurement making it more economical and efficient, it said.

Previously, vendors had to go through the approval process at every establishment.

"Vendor empanelled at one place/railway institution for supply of any goods/ service was not considered automatically eligible for supply of the same good/ service at other railway establishments in the country. So his opportunities used to get restricted to supplying those things only at the given one place."

"In case he wanted to supply the same stuff at other places, he had to go through the entire registration/application/empanelment process afresh for each of the establishment he wanted to supply. This was a long process," an official explained.

It would also promote use of manufacturing capacity of domestic industry and help the cause of 'make in India', the statement added.

(IANS Report)