Port Blair, Feb 9: On February 8, 2024, at 4:00 PM, the first "Vendors Meet" was convened in the Conference Hall of the Police Headquarters under the vision of Sh. Devesh Chandra Srivastva, Director General of Police, A&N Islands.

DIGP (HQ) Shri Ajay Krishan Sharma, IPS, chaired the meeting, which saw enthusiastic participation from 32 local vendors and police officials from various districts and units. He addressed the attendees, urging local vendors to actively engage in the procurement procedures on the GeM Portal.

Shri Puneet Kumar, Deputy Director, and Shri Vijay Ramakrishna, Business Facilitator from GeM, also virtually joined the meeting. They provided an overview of the GeM Portal and addressed issues faced by local vendors during bid participation.

Additionally, a presentation on the basic guidelines for GeM procurement was delivered, highlighting the reasons behind repeated failures in GeM bids.

 Following thorough deliberations, several key agreements were reached:

1) A checklist of mandatory documents for each bid will be prepared and uploaded on the GeM portal for vendors’ convenience.

2) Pre-bid meetings will be conducted meticulously for each procurement proposal in order to incorporate generic specifications and clauses in a timely manner, thereby enabling broader participation in GeM bids.

3) To enhance publicity and maximize firm participation, all tenders will be published on A&N Police's Social Media Platforms, providing details of the articles to be procured and the bid's closing date.

The vendors received assurances of assistance and cooperation from respective procuring unit officials regarding any doubts or clarifications. Both local vendors and GeM officials present at the meeting commended Andaman and Nicobar Police for its initiative in bridging the gap between buyers and sellers, and for encouraging local participation in procurement proposals.