JAMMU :
Jammu, Nov 2:
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, introduced to ensure transparency and efficiency in public procurement, is fast turning into a tool of manipulation and corruption within several departments in Jammu and Kashmir. What was launched as a digital reform to eliminate middlemen and irregularities has, according to insiders, become a convenient platform for inflated purchases, favoritism, and backdoor deals.
Sources reveal that several departments in J&K — including Health, Education, Rural Development, and Power Development — are allegedly using loopholes in the GeM portal to push through questionable purchases. Items ranging from office stationery and furniture to electronic gadgets, laboratory instruments, and even medical supplies have reportedly been procured at exorbitant rates.
In many cases, officials are accused of manipulating product specifications to suit pre-selected vendors. As a result, other eligible sellers are automatically filtered out, leaving the contract to a single or limited set of bidders — often with direct or indirect connections to the department’s procurement officers.
Despite the GeM system being designed for competitive and transparent pricing, glaring inconsistencies have been observed in purchase rates across departments. Sources point out instances where printers, desktops, and basic office items were purchased at nearly double or triple the local market rates.
In certain cases, the items supplied were reportedly of inferior quality or not as per the specifications mentioned in the order, but payments were cleared without verification. Officials blame the absence of strict inspection and monitoring after delivery, which makes it easy for erring vendors to escape accountability.
While the portal maintains a digital record of transactions, it lacks effective on-ground verification. This gap, according to observers, is being exploited by some officers in connivance with chosen suppliers. Orders are often split into smaller amounts to bypass tender scrutiny and departmental audits.
A senior retired bureaucrat, requesting anonymity, said, “GeM was meant to bring transparency, but in J&K, it has become a modern way to formalize old corrupt practices under a digital disguise. The lack of independent oversight allows manipulation at every level.”
Public finance experts and vigilance agencies are calling for a detailed audit of GeM-based procurement across all government departments in Jammu and Kashmir. They stress the need for cross-verification of rates with market standards, random inspection of delivered items, and strict penalties for officials found guilty of misuse.
Civil society groups and RTI activists have also urged the Union Territory administration to make all GeM purchases publicly accessible, with details of vendors, quantities, and rates displayed department-wise to ensure real transparency.
With mounting complaints from within departments and whistleblowers highlighting irregularities, the credibility of the GeM system in J&K is increasingly under question. Unless corrective measures are taken promptly, experts warn that the platform — instead of being a symbol of good governance — could become a breeding ground for digital corruption, eroding public trust in e-governance initiatives.