GUWAHATI, July 14 - The State Information Commission has directed the Agriculture Department and the Assam Seeds Corporation (ASC) Limited to disclose all the procurement related information periodically. The Commission issued the order in response to a petition filed by Joydeb Das who sought information from ASC regarding procurement of hybrid maize seeds for scientific cultivation.
State Chief Information Commissioner HS Das, while disposing the appeal of the petitioner, observed that the information sought by the petitioner should have been maintained and disclosed pro-actively.
In his order, Das directed the State�s Agriculture Department and the Assam Seeds Corporation Limited to publish suo motu and update periodically all relevant procurement related information such as list of items and their quantities proposed for procurement; their respective schemes along with the budget provisions; administrative machinery and arrangement for distribution of procured goods among the agencies to the final beneficiaries indicating the intermediate stages and agencies in between; information of procured goods whether fully or partly subsidised and their rates and quantum of subsidy; administrative charges or commissions; copy of the NITs with names of firms or suppliers submitting their bids, list of valid and invalid bids; technical or quality specification of different items; copy of the comparative statements of the selected valid bids; copies of supply orders, copies of technical report of verification of the quality of the supplied seeds or procured items; the report of the procurement agency on the quantities supplied; copies of reports of distribution by the field level agencies like district agriculture officers or BDOs, etc.; copies of bills submitted by suppliers and information about payments made by procurement agencies including transportation bills; verification report of L-1 price with prevailing market price; and in case of procurement of seeds, list of seed growers registered with the Assam Seeds Certification Authority and whether seeds procured from outside the State have been certified by the Authority.
The Commission said suo motu disclosure of information in matters relating to procurement by public authority is a necessary prerequisite for containment of corruption and promotion of transparency and accountability. Moreover, the Commission has directed the Chief Secretary to issue suitable instructions to all administrative departments and procurement agencies for similar actions.
