Bidder located anywhere in India need to registeronly o­nce for participating in auctions of any field unitof Indian Railways through the portal

During last o­ne month Pilot, 80 earning contractswere finalized collectively fetching 128 Cr to theRailways

Standardization of eligibility conditions pan-India

Indian Railways has taken steps to bring Commercial Earning and Non-Fare Revenue contracts under theambitofelectronicauctionthroughIndianRailwaye-ProcurementSystem(IREPS),inlinewithprevailing e-auction of scrap sale. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launched e-auction for Commercial earning,Non-Fare Revenue (NFR) contracts in Rail Bhavan today. This will not o­nly increase Railways earning butalsobolster effortsbeing takenby theGovernmentfor easeof doingbusiness.

Speaking o­n this occasion, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “This policy is in line with the vision of Hon’blePrime Minister to change the experience of common man by the use of technology. With this new policy,tedious process of tendering would get simplified. Also, it would give opportunities for youth to join the e-auction process. This policy enhances ease of living, promotes transparency and adds to Digital IndiainitiativesinRailways.”

Earning Assets: Parcel Van, Pay & Use Toilets, Advertisement rights o­n station circulating area andcoaches,ACwaitingrooms,Cloakrooms,Parkinglots,PlasticBottlecrushers,ATMs,Stationco-branding, Video screens for content o­n demand etc. These assets will be mapped location-wise in the portalonce,andthesystemwillrememberforeverifitiscoveredforearningornot.Thiswillimprovemonitoringofassetsonreal timebasisandwillminimizeasset-idling.

Present System: Participation in present e-tendering requires physical registration with the concerned fieldunit.ThismakesdifficultforpotentialbiddersfromtherestofIndiatocompete.Ittakestimeinfinalizationduetorequirementof physicalmeetingoftendercommitteemembers.

E-Auction: Bidder located anywhere in India need to self register o­nce for participating in auctions of anyfield unit of Indian Railways through the portal. Remotely bid can be placed for management rights of anasset after depositing earnest money (EMD) electronically. Successful bidder would be able to receiveacceptance o­nline and through e-mail in very short span of time. Except requirement of financial turnover,as such all the eligibility criterions have been removed. Further, financial requirement has been relaxed tothegreatextant.ThereisnofinancialturnoverrequirementforannualcontractsuptoRs.40lacs

Pilot Run: Pilot was launched in 11 Divisions of 9 Zones: total 80 contracts of total value of 128 Croreswerefinalised during thepilot launch.

SuccessStoriesduringPilotRun:

1.Ahmedabad Division had conducted e-Auction for 2 lots Gandhidham Junction &Himmatnagar(GIMB and HMT) of Parking o­n 04th June 2022. For Gandhidham Junction (GIMB) 24 bids werereceived with the highest o­ne being ₹ 12,60,000 (Per Annum)which is 38% above ConventionalBidding Price. For HMT 26 Bidswere received with the highest o­ne being ₹ 62,500 (Per Annum)whichis72% abovepriceof conventionalbidding.

2.On 06.06.22, e-auction was conducted for Mixed Parking near Gorakhpur Airport, in which highest bidof Rs. 8,47,458 was received against estimate of Rs. 5,31,000 which is 59.60% higher than the price ofconventionalbidding.

3.Parkingsite–AnandViharTerminal,ContractPeriod-3year,TotalBidsReceived-74,OfferPriceper

annum-75lakh.Totalearning-Total2.25Cr.Offerreceivedwas127.33%higherthantheconventionalbidding price.

SalientFeaturesofNewSystem:

●TheAuction willbeconducted online through ‘E-Auction Leasing’ module ofIREPS:www.ireps.gov.in

●Policy for e-Auction and Standard Conditions of Auction issued by Railway Board: Earlier systemof physical registration of contractors Division-wise has been done away with,Only financialcriteria – based o­n self-declaration of past turnovers by contractorsFinancial turnover criteriarationalizedandstandardized–NoturnoverrequirementuptoRs.40lacsannualcontractestimatesOnetimeonlineself-registrationofcontractorsNogeographicalrestrictions forparticipationinanyauctionof anyDivision

●Allassetswillbefedinthesystemforbettermonitoringandensuringissuingcontractsinadvance

–reduceassetidling

●AuctioncatalogueswithalldetailsoftheassetswillbepublishedonlineonIREPSportal,minimum15 days inadvance

●Auctionswillbeconductedonline-bidderswillbeabletoparticipatefromanywhereinIndia

●Minimum 30 minutes will be given for auction so that all interested contractors can submit theirbids.

●AuctionofconsecutiveLotsinanycataloguewillbeclosedaftergapof10minutes

●In case any bid is received within last 2 minutes of auction closing time, then the closing time forthe lot will be extended automatically for 2 minutes. 10 such auto extensions will be permitted toensureadequatetimefor allbidderstosubmittheirbids.

●ReservePriceofthelotswillnotbedisclosedandthebidderswillbefreetoofferanybidaccordingtotruecommercialpotentialoftheassetsaspertheirassessment.

●Bidswillbeautodecided.

●IfHighestbid(H1)isequalorabovetheReservePricethenthecontractwillbefinalizedonthesameday afterauctionclosing.

●Bidsheetandcontractagreementwillbesigneddigitally.

●Paymentscheduleforthecontractwillbegeneratedimmediately.

●Allpaymentsbythecontractorwillbemadeonline

●Entireprocesswillbeonline&paperless

Benefits:

1.Onlinemodemakespotentialbiddersfromdistantlocationacrosscountrytoparticipateinthebiddingprocess.

2.OnlinepaymenttoRailwayspostawardofcontract.Tillnowprovisionofdailymanualpaymentinparcelleasingcontractisthere,whichisatediousprocess.Nowitismadeonline.

3.BetterMonitoring:Aftermapping,portalpromptswhenanearningcontractofaparticularassetisnearingcompletionandcompelstostartfreshauction,thusmakingidletimeoftheassetminimal.

4.Standardizationofeligibilityconditionspan-India.

5.Simplificationofprocesses.DrasticallyreducesthetimetakeninfinalizationofTendersandwillpreventrevenue losson thisaccount.

6.Quickre-awardofcontractincaseoffailureofanycontractor

7.Breaksthecartelamongbidders.Bidders’identitywillbemaskedfromeachotherandfromIR.

8.Willincreaserevenueearningbyfetchingtruecommercialpotentialofassetsduetohighercompetitionamongstbidders.

9.Willminimizeassets’idling,resultinginmaximizationofpotentialsfromtheassets.

10.Noeligibilitycriteriaupto40lacswillhelpinpromotingstart-ups.

Arunachal Pradesh, the land of the rising sun, is o­ne of the Northeastern seven sister states. This is o­ne of the most picturesque places in India. This state has the power to become a tourism hub. Working in this direction, Northeast Frontier Railway has done a tremendous amount of infrastructure development in this state. Itanagar, the capital city, became the second o­nly state capital among the eight north eastern states after Guwahati to be o­n the railway map when in 2018 the first Broad guage passenger train chugged into Naharlagun station.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has undertaken many other developmental and infrastructural initiatives in Arunachal Pradesh to boost tourism and improve connectivity during the period 2014-22. The Murkongselek - Pasighat new line (26.15 km), at a cost of Rs 661 crore, has been sanctioned for execution. Surveys for more new broad gauge lines are going o­n. Some  important surveys  like the Lekhapani to Deban via Nampong (75 km) ;  Dumduma to Wakro ( 96 km)  via Simulguri, Namsai and Chowkham; Dangri to Roing( 60 km) & Tinsukia ( Longpatia ) to Pasighat (300 km) via Kanubari, Deomali, Lekhapani, Jairampur, Kharsang, Miao, Diyu, Tezu, Bhismaknagar, Roing and Dambuk ; Dhalai Beel to Seijosa via Itakhola (18 km );  Naharkatia to Deomali  (20 km ); Misamari (Bhalukpong) to Tawang (198 km) via Tenga; North Lakhimpur to Bame via Silapathar  ( 87 km  ); Pasighat to Rupai via Tezu  (217.8 km) and  Lekhapani and Kharsang (26.2 km) are going o­n in full swing.Once completed, these new lines will spearhead the eventual socio-economic boom in the state.

Apart from these new lines survey, other basic Railway infrastructures have also been augmented in Arunachal Pradesh. New Coaching Maintenance Depot was set up and commissioned at Naharlagun in March, 2020. Mechanised cleaning of Naharlagun station started from 2018-19. Toilets for Divyangjan have been provided at Gumto, Naharlagun and Bhalukpong stations. Train Indication Board, Coach Indication Board and Integrated Passenger Information System are provided at these stations. Passenger Reservation System, Unreserved Ticketing System and Free high speed Wi-Fi are also provided at nominated stations of Arunachal Pradesh. Point of sale machines for cash-less transactions were installed in Naharlagun and Bhalukpong stations. As a part of NFR’s Go-Green mission Naharlagun, Bhalukpong and Gumto stations have been provided with 100% LED lights during 2017-18. o­ne 10 kwP solar power plant has also been installed in Naharlagun during 2018-19.

Naharlagun station was opened to both outward and inward goods traffic for ease of freight transportation. 55 freight trains arrived in Arunachal Pradesh with essential commodities and 39 parcel vans were loaded with various commodities for Arunachal Pradesh during 2021-22.