Assignment of Role of Primary User/ Secondary User in GeM
Government of West Bengal
Finance Department
Audit Branch
Nabanna, Howrah
No. 4949-F(Y) Dated 3rd August, 2018
MEMORANDUM
Sub: Guidelines for creation of Organisational Hierarchy and Selection of Primary/ Secondary Users in GeM
The State Government has introduced voluntary procurement of goods and services through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) vide Finance Department Memo No. 3876-F(Y) dated 14.06.2018. Further, GeM has introduced the feature of Dashboard Analytics Reports for monitoring various procurement parameters in GeM by different State Government Departments. For precise data collation in Analytics Reports, the mapping of Organizational Hierarchies in Departments and registration of intending buyers appropriately as Primary and Secondary Users in the respective Organizations is a key prerequisite.
2. For this purpose, in continuation of FD Memo No. 3876-F(Y) dated 14.06.2018, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed in order to maintain uniformity in the creation of Organizational Hierarchies and assignment of roles of Primary and Secondary Users in GeM in respect of the State Government Offices, State PSUs, Local Bodies, Statutory and Autonomous Organization, Aided Institutions, Parastatals, etc. under the administrative control of Government of West Bengal.
3. Creation of Organizational Hierarchy in GeM:
i. First, on the Buyer Registration Page, the ‘Organization Type’ is to be selected from the dropdown list on GeM as follows:
a. State Government (in case the Organization is a State Government Office of any State Government Department)
b. State Autonomous (in case of Organizations like Calcutta High Court, PSC, WBSEC, KMDA, SJDA, Universities, Aided Colleges, Aided Schools, etc.)
c. State PSU (in case of Organizations like WBHIDCO, CSTC, WBTIDCL, WBMSCL, WBFDCL, etc.)
d. State Local Body (in case of Organizations like Zilla Parishads. Municipalities and Municipal Corporations, etc.)
ii. Second, after selecting the ‘State’, the name of the controlling ‘Department’ of the Government of West Bengal is to be selected from the dropdown list.
iii. Third, the Buyer who is registering, needs to choose his/her ‘Organization’ from the dropdown list.
In case the name of the applicant Organization is not available in the dropdown list, the hyperlink “Request For New Organization” may be clicked. Thereafter, on the fresh Registration Page, after completing the steps (i) and (ii) above, option ‘Others’ in the ‘Organization’ dropdown list may be selected and the name of the Organization may be entered in the empty field that appears for this purpose. After completing comments and providing the applicant’s NIC Email ID, the online request for creating a new ‘Organization’ in GeM may be submitted. The applicant shall be intimated over email once the new ‘Organization’ has been created in GeM.
4. Assignment of role of Primary User and Secondary Users and creating Divisions under Organizations in GeM:
i. Each ‘Organization’ will have only one ‘Primary User’. The functions of a Primary User have been mentioned in brief in FD Memo No. 3876-F(Y) dated 14.06.2018. All offices registered as separate Organizations in GeM will have a Primary User each. Organizations should not be created below District level.
ii. For State Government Offices, the Primary User should be a Group-A Officer of the State Government:
a. In case of the Departments/ Directorates/ Commissionerates, the Primary User should at least be in the rank of Deputy Secretary Deputy Director/ Deputy Commissioner respectively.
b. In ease of Regional and District level State Government Offices, the Primary User should at least be a District Level Group-A Officer.
c. In case of State PSUs, Local Bodies, Autonomous and Statutory Organizations, Grant-in-Aid Institutions, the role of Primary User may be a Group-A Officer on deputation in the organization, say CEO/EO, or a Group-A Officer of the appropriate State/Regional/District level Office of the Administrative Department which controls that Organization.
i. For procurement of goods and services, ‘Divisions’ need be created in an ‘Organization’ in GeM by its Primary User, and in each Division, he/she further needs to create ‘Secondary Users’ with different assigned roles – Buyer, Consignee, and DDO (Paying Authority). Therefore, in order to make procurements each Organization needs to have at least one ‘Division’ and a minimum no. of ‘Secondary Users’ including at least one DDO/Paying Authority and Buyer each.
ii. The role of DDO (Paying Authority) in GeM can only be performed by an officer who is otherwise also authorized to function as the DDO/Paying Authority of that Office/Organization by the Finance Department. Due attention may be paid that this role is not assigned to anyone else.
iii. The DDO cannot act as a Buyer or Consignee in GeM. However, a Buyer can be a Consignee and vice versa. Also, the Primary User can only be a Consignee and not a Buyer or DDO.
iv. All State Government Primary and Secondary Users in GeM should have NIC Email IDs, and preferably the NIC Email IDs should be designation based.
v. Due attention should be paid in defining/ creating and naming ‘Divisions’ in GeM and it should be ensured that there are enough employees in a ‘Division’ including at least one DDO/Payment Authority. For example, the Division responsible for procurements in the Department Headquarters Office in XYZ Department could be named “Secretariat Office, XYZ Department”.
vi. The Offices which will not be having any Primary User will be a Division under the next higher office which is having a Primary User. For example, each BDO & ex-Officio EO of Panchayat Samity will be a Division under the ‘Organization’ of the concerned District Magistrate, BMOH Office will be a Division under the ‘Organization’ of the concerned CMOH, etc.
vii. PSUs, Aided Institutions, Local Bodies, etc. will not be having any Primary Users. They will be Divisions under the concerned District/Directorate/Department ‘Organization’.
5. Verifying Authority of Primary User:
i. During Primary User Registration, the particulars of the registering Primary User need to be approved by a Verifying Authority. Such Verifying Authority chosen by the Primary User during GeM Registration should necessarily have a functional NIC Email ID and should be the same rank or senior than the Primary User in to the same Organization/Department. The Verifying Authority needs to approve/reject the intending Primary User’s application within 48 hours, else it is deemed approved.
ii. The Administrative Departments may assign the responsibility of Verifying Authority to specific officers under its control through Administrative Orders, if required, as per their convenience.
6. Select Guidelines for Secondary Users:
i. The Buyer shall place a Procurement Order only after obtaining necessary approval of the competent authority as per DFPR, 1977 unless he himself enjoys the required authority for making such a procurement as per the extant Rules of the State Government. Such financial approval needs to be uploaded onto GeM as well.
ii. Before issuing order for procurement in GeM, the buyer shall check that there is sufficient fund available with the concerned DDO under the applicable Head of Account to ensure payment to seller within 10 days from the date of generation of CRAG (Consignee’s Receipt & Acceptance Certificate).
iii. The Consignee shall within 10 days of compliance of the conditions of the Procurement Order by the Seller Vendor generate the CRAC. Before generating the CRAC the Consignee shall ensure that the Goods received are in satisfactory condition and are as per the required specifications. After generation of CRAC there is no provision of returning the Goods/seeking refund.
iv. In case the Buyer desires to include installation of the Goods at a preferred location, the specific location’s filter should be applied during searching potential Sellers of the item(s) and specified while inviting bids, giving Procurement Order, etc.
7. In case any new Product Categories are required to be created in GeM or further major clarifications are required which cannot be addressed by the Nodal Officers of respective Departments, they may be addressed to Joint Secretary, Group-T, Finance Department.
Sd/- H.K. Dwivedi
Additional Chief Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal