CHENNAI: In a bid to infuse more transparency, more than 3.5 lakh tenders have been floated through the Tamil Nadu government's e-tendering portal over the past two-and-a-half years since its induction, the Finance Department has said.

In an official order, Additional Chief Secretary to the Finance Department T Udhayachandran said the National Informatics Centre (NIC) had developed a dedicated portal — tntenders.gov.in — for publishing government tenders. The portal was launched in April 2023, and since then, over 3.5 lakh tenders have been issued through the website.

He said all departments of the State government are using the portal not only for publishing tenders but also for carrying out procurement activities. The system has helped streamline the procurement process and ensure transparency, the order said. It would also enable whistleblowers to legitimately and easily access data through the Right to Information Act and other modes, to flag any discrepancies or corruption.

The order also noted that the Union government has created a separate online portal for the procurement of goods by State government departments. If the number of available suppliers is limited, State departments may procure goods through the Tamil Nadu government's portal.

As per revised rules, direct online purchases up to Rs 2 lakh must be made through the designated online platform. To prevent irregularities, the Finance Department has reiterated that procurement should not be conducted with individuals or unregistered entities.