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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PORTAL

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | CO-OP SOCIETIES CAN NOW PROCURE GOODS FROM PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PORTAL GEM | 06TH JUNE | PIB

/ June, 2022, UPSC Daily Current Affairs

SYLLABUS SECTION: GS III (Cooperative Societies)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

  • Recently, the Union Cabinet has expanded the scope of the PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PORTAL Government-Marketplace (GeM) to allow cooperative societies to register as buyers.
  • It is still not available for use by private sector buyers, the government, as well as the private sector, can become suppliers.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Purchases through GeM will provide the following benefits:

  1. The Cooperatives would get competitive prices through an open and transparent process, and this would be economically beneficial to the members of the society.
  2. The Cooperative societies can procure from about 45 lakh authenticated sellers/ service providers available across the country on a single GeM platform,
  3. Following the standard procedures on GeM would lead to saving time and a reduction in the administrative burden.
  4. It would enhance the credibility of the cooperatives as complaints of mismanagement of funds will get reduced in Public Procurement Portal.
  5. It will enable the cooperative societies to access more than 45 Lakh vendors on a single platform and to follow a transparent, economic, and efficient procurement system.
  6. There are about 8.54 lakh cooperatives in India with about 29 crore members.
  7. They have been performing a wide range of activities for the production of goods and services.

COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES:

  • Cooperative Societies are voluntary groups of people sharing common economic, social, or welfare goals, coming together for mutual commercial, economic & developmental support.
  • The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2011 gave constitutional status and protection to cooperative societies of PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PORTAL.
  • At present, there are about 8.54 lakh cooperatives in India with about 29 crore members.
  • They have been performing a wide range of activities for the production of goods and services.
GOVERNMENT e-MARKETPLACE
  • Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has been set up as a National Procurement Portal to provide an end-to-end online marketplace for Central and State Government Ministries/ Departments, PSUs, etc.
  • It provides procurement of common-use goods and services in a transparent and efficient manner.

Source: PIB