Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, a 1990-batch IAS officer, has expressed serious concern over widespread violations of the state’s procurement transparency guidelines, directing all government departments, boards, corporations, universities and other public procurement entities to strictly comply with the prescribed norms for disclosing procurement details.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Managing Directors of Boards and Corporations, and Registrars of Universities, the Chief Secretary highlighted that the majority of public procurement entities have failed to comply with government instructions issued in August 2021, which mandate the disclosure of procurement details of major tenders and contracts.
Chief Secretary Expresses Serious Concern Over Non-Compliance
In his communication, Anurag Rastogi said the government has taken a serious view of the widespread non-compliance with transparency guidelines.
He noted that despite clear government instructions issued nearly five years ago, most departments have neither uploaded procurement details on their official websites nor submitted the mandatory monthly compliance reports to the Vigilance Department.
The Chief Secretary termed the continued failure to follow these directions a matter of concern and instructed all departments to immediately ensure adherence to the transparency framework.
Vigilance Department Not Receiving Monthly Compliance Reports
One of the major concerns highlighted in the letter is the failure of Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) to submit mandatory monthly compliance certificates.
According to the Chief Secretary, the Vigilance Department has not received monthly compliance certificates from the Chief Vigilance Officers of almost all public procurement entities, with only one exception.
He noted that Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, has been the only procurement entity regularly submitting the required compliance reports.
The absence of compliance certificates from other departments has raised concerns regarding the implementation of transparency measures across the state.
Procurement Details Must Be Uploaded Regularly
Reiterating the government’s transparency policy, Rastogi directed all procurement entities to upload details of major tenders and contracts on both their departmental websites and the State Procurement Portal.
Under the August 2021 instructions, every procurement entity is required to disclose information relating to tenders and contracts valued above ₹5 crore involving:
- Goods
- Works
- Services
The published information must include:
- Name of the procuring department or agency
- Brief description of the project or work
- Total contract value
- Name of the successful bidder or agency
- Date of contract allotment
The objective of these disclosures is to strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in government procurement.
CVOs Made Personally Responsible
The Chief Secretary has also reiterated that Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) will be held personally responsible for ensuring compliance with the transparency guidelines.
They have been directed to:
- Ensure procurement details are uploaded every month without delay.
- Submit a monthly compliance certificate to the Chief Secretary’s office confirming that all required procurement information has been uploaded in accordance with government instructions.
The letter makes it clear that accountability for compliance rests directly with the designated vigilance officers.
Government Reiterates Commitment to Transparent Procurement
The communication states that the Haryana Government remains committed to maintaining transparency in public procurement and expects all departments, statutory bodies, authorities, boards, corporations, societies, missions and universities to fully comply with the prescribed framework.
Rastogi reminded officials that the government had already put in place a mechanism to facilitate compliance and that failure to follow the prescribed procedures would not be viewed lightly.
Software Platform Already Available
To ensure that departments face no technical hurdles, the Chief Secretary recalled that the Directorate of Supplies and Disposals had already been instructed to provide the necessary software platform and user login credentials to all procurement entities.
The platform enables departments to upload procurement data directly to the State Procurement Portal, making the disclosure process simpler and more efficient.
With the technological infrastructure already in place, departments have been directed to begin uploading procurement information immediately and submit regular compliance reports to the Vigilance Department.
The latest communication underscores the Haryana Government’s renewed emphasis on transparency, accountability and good governance in public procurement, while placing direct responsibility on departmental leadership and vigilance officers to ensure that procurement information is disclosed in a timely and transparent manner.
