Gujarat government implements stricter tender approval timelines

The Gujarat government has implemented new measures to expedite the tender approval process for development and construction works. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed departments to complete approvals within strict new timelines to prevent administrative delays.

Under the revised regulations, tenders involving only financial bids must be processed within a maximum of 51 days. For tenders requiring both technical and financial scrutiny, including contractor pre-qualification, the entire process must be completed within 66 days. This marks a significant reduction from the previous general timeline of approximately 120 days.

Additionally, the government has reduced the tender validity period from 120 days to 90 days. To streamline the process, negotiations will generally be avoided unless unavoidable, and if necessary, they will be conducted at only one level by the competent authority. The new policy also introduces accountability measures, requiring officers to record reasons for delays and fixing responsibility for any failure to meet the prescribed timeframes.