The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has adopted a new online tender system. The modernisation of Koyambedu market will be the first project to be taken up under the system.
According to officials, the CMDA will accept tender applications only through Tamil Nadu’s e-procurement system. With the aim of improving transparency and fairness, it has plugged-in with the existing NIC portal (https://tntenders.gov.in/nicgep/app ). Tender applications will no longer be accepted in person. Online payment of the earnest money deposit (EMD) will be enabled shortly. As per government orders, the CMDA will start e-auction using MSTC’s e-commerce portal. In the interim, as per instructions of CMDA Member Secretary Anshul Mishra, vendors applying online can send the demand draft via post, and need not come in person to submit it.
The old tendering process involved announcement notices for tenders being published only in newspapers and not on digital platforms. As the earlier process, documents had to be dropped into the allocated box at the office, applications were received only from those vendors who were within the city or from nearby areas. Vendors from other parts of the country, eligible for the tender, were often unaware of the opportunity or found it inconvenient to apply in-person.
