Execution Process for IREPS

Swetha Dhinesh

06 Feb, 2023

The Ministry of Indian Railways launches Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) to implement e-tender, e-auction, and auction sales. IREPS is the official platform for procuring goods, works & services, selling materials, and leasing assets online. This application is developed and maintained by the Indian Railways and CRIS (Centre for Railway Information System) with the latest technology and security features. This website complies with the IT Act of 2000^[1] and follows the procurement, sales, and leasing directives periodically issued by the Ministry of Railways. The site meets the needs of all Indian Railways manufacturing units and zonal railways. Users of this website will obtain the experience of a secure platform for their transactions. Making the entire process transparent motivates bids to make a reasonable profit and aim as high as possible. It increases the competition and decreases the complaints about the process of tendering. 

The Process of Registration with IREPS

1. Anyone wishing to participate in the e-auction and e-tender of Indian Railways must register with IREPS. Bidders must have a current authority-issued digital certificate bearing their company name to register.
2. The lifespan of a digital signature certificate will be one or two years. The subscriber may use the certificate as many times as necessary for document signing and authentication during its validity period.
3. To be registered, one should fill out the registration form.
4. Getting a quick response by furnishing correction information will speed up the registration process. 
5. If the registration request is denied, an email including the properly assigned grounds for the denial is sent to the registered email address.
6. Once the registration process is done, one can participate in the tender or auction registration form with all the required information and wait for the tender or auction registration request to be reviewed and approved by ensuring the inclusion of the correct relevant documents. Annual renewal of the registration is important to continue participation.

Digital Signature Certificate

India is going digital, and it is probably going to modify all of its manual documentation processes to digital ones. The same will be built on the foundation of digital signature. According to IT Act of 2000, digital signatures have already been given legal significance. It serves as a piece of legal evidence in courts of law all around the nation. According to section 2(1)(p)in the Information Technology Act, 2000, “digital signature” means authentication of any electronic record by a subscriber by means of an electronic method or procedure in accordance with the provisions of the act. 

An organisation or person’s identification can be confirmed using a digital signature certificate, a secure digital key issued by a certifying authority. A class 3 digital signature certificate is necessary to participate in tenders on the platform IREPS. 

Process in obtaining Digital Signature Certificate

1. This process involves the filing of an application form and submitting the required documents, such as Identity proof and proof of business registration.
2. Digital Signature Certificate will have a validity of one or two years. During its validity period, the subscriber can use the certificate any number of times for authentication and signing the documents.
3. After examination and approval of the application, the applicant will receive the class III Digital Signature Certificate in the form of a USB token.

Comparative Statement of Tender and Auction

The tender materials should be in the care of a Gazetted Officer until the tender is closed after the bids are opened. A responsible staff member who opens the tenders shall write a comparison Statement of rates, amounts, quantities, and other significant tender conditions, for which a necessary office order establishing the responsible staff member should be issued prior to assigning the work to him. The section in charge must verify and sign each page of the comparison statement once it has been prepared by personnel and signed by them.

The section in charge must verify and sign each page of the comparative statement after it has been prepared and signed by the team responsible. The comparative statement should be thoroughly checked, and not just the last page should be signed by the Executive Officer and the Accounts Officer involved with the opening of the tender.

All bids must be collected in the comparative statement and submitted to the Tender Committee for review without being first reviewed by any other official. The relevant Executive Officer will give the instructions for creating the briefing notes. He will guarantee that the briefing note contains every detail listed above and will sign each page.

The estimator allocated to the project will conduct the financial analysis, which will then be reviewed by the head of the chief estimator. They will be accountable for the comparative statement’s accuracy and briefing notes, and they will sign each page of both documents. The department in charge of handling tenders must ensure that any particular conditions have been taken into account, that a comparison has been made with local going prices, and that each page of the briefing note has its signature. Only the signed and approved copies of the briefing note may be distributed in advance to the tender committee members, preferably with the minutes of the tender committee Meeting.

Responsibility of the Committee

It should not take long to consider the tender. Within the offers’ validity time, bids must be completed. There should be no need to request additional extensions of time because all the information required to examine proposals should be requested at once.

In every instance where the lowest tender is rejected, the exact reasons for the rejection should be included so that they may be found in files. If the lowest bidder in an “open tender” is not an authorised contractor, he should be required to provide documentation of his execution capability and financial standing. If he is unable to provide these credentials, it should be noted in the records. Only if the tenderer’s capability, qualifications, and financial situation are judged to be satisfactory may the contract be awarded.

Advantages of Bidders and Vendors

• Online bids and payments are both simple for bidders to complete.
• All of the information regarding the tenders and corrections made public by the IREPS platform is easily accessible. It will make it easier for bidders to monitor any adjustments or modifications to the tenders.
• Access to the comparable tender statement is another option available to them.
• The ability to work from home and not have to rush to complete official tasks has made it more pleasant and easy for bidders overall. They are free to choose a time that is convenient for them.
• Vendors can submit multiple offers at the same time. There is no restriction on the number of alternate offers being submitted by the vendors. All such alternate bids, along with original bids, will be considered valid bids and will be used for ranking purposes.
• Neither bidder nor the Railway user can see any bidder’s identity during bidding. However, bidders will be able to see their bids. After the closure of the auction, the bidders and railway users can see the identity of all the bidders.

Help Desk

The Help Desk is a part of the E-Procurement System application that enables Vendors, Railway users, and others to obtain assistance if they run into difficulties when using the application or if they have any questions about it. This module keeps a record of every question submitted by a user and every response provided by a help desk agent.

Conclusion

This process not only saves time and is effective, but it also plays a crucial part in upholding transparency on a wider scale. The Indian Railways will be more accessible, and it is a recognition of digital connectivity. By saving time and money, an online platform will relieve both workers and bidders of any hassle while enhancing working productivity. The Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) is the sole organisation that has such a transparent system for tendering. Making the entire process open will also motivate bids to make a reasonable profit and aim as high as they can, boosting competition and lowering complaints about tendering.