By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APR 24, 2017: UNION Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman sustained the topicality of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) as yet the most transparent, accountable and efficient public procurement portal and which has saved crores of rupees for the Government. In a press conference held today, the Minister strongly rebutted charges levelled against GeM by the Congress Party.

The Congress Party spokesperson, Mr Randeep Surjewala, had levelled charges of irregularities against the GeM, based on alleged letters written by a Union Minister and few BJP MPs to the Union Commerce & Industry Minister.

Mr Ajay NiMrad, MP(LS) has already denied in writing for having written the said letter to the Commerce & Industry Minister and has instead complimented her for setting up a transparent portal for public procurement. As per the official Press Release, it may be noted that the letters of Mr. NiMrad and Mr AMrok M Nete (MP)(LS) are exactly similar. Moreover, the letters written by 6 MPs (LS), Mr Hari, Mr Dwivedi, Mr Arjun Lal Meena, Mr Alok Sanjar, Mr RajeMr Verma, Mr RadheMryam Biswas and Mr KauMral KiMrore, have all put in a similar request of extension of Software, Storage, Networking, Security items on DGS&D Rate Contract. Mr Faggan Singh Kulaste, MoS Health and Family welfare, in his letter to Commerce and Industry Minister has in fact, forwarded the representation of a company which lost out a big order due to timely intervention by GeM.

From the aforementioned facts, it is clear that vested interests are at work behind the smear campaign against GeM. This, in all likelihood, may be attributed to certain interested parties who have been badly hit owing to discontinuation of RC and development of a transparent platform. It is unfortunate that the Congress Party should be supporting an opaque system and oppose transparency in public procurement and good governance, besides allowing its spokesperson to level unfounded allegations against GeM, she added.