Public Buying
Public Buying
The centralised buying concept has rightly gained credence because it helps to keep wasteful competition and duplicative efforts to a minimum. The Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals constitute the central purchasing organisation of the Government of India. It is responsible for the procurement and purchase of supplies required by the indenting departments of the Government of India, including the defence organisation, railways as well as posts and telegraphs departments. Besides, its services are also utilised by the State Governments, Public Sector Enterprises and Quasi-public bodies. The successive five-year plans have considerably increased the volume and variety of purchases made by DGS&D. The centralised purchasing organisation has enabled a considerable degree of standardisation of the procedures for tendering and contracting. The
DGS&D, being a government department, is accountable to the Parliament for its action and this perhaps is the reason for its tender enquiries and contracts cluttered with far too many points.
Further, DGS&D scrutinises proposals for the purchase of stores from abroad with a view to ensure encouragement of Indian industries and to prevent, as far as possible, purchase of stores from outside India when goods of
suitable quality are indigenously obtainable. It inspects stores purchased direct by Government Departments and
other bodies when the purchasing departments want to make use of the services of DGS&D Inspection Wing. It carries out laboratory tests, analysis, etc., on behalf of those authorities who want to make use of the services of DGS&D in this respect. It arranges for shipment of stores exported and
clearance of stores imported. Further, it is also responsible for the disposal of surpluses declared by Central Government Departments and State Governments.
