GeM Mandatory Procurement: All departments and subordinate offices under the West Bengal government will now have to buy goods and services strictly through the Government e-Marketplace, or GeM, wherever such items are listed on the portal. This comes via Memo No. 3557-F(Y) dated 23.09.2026, issued by the Audit Branch, Group T, of the Finance Department.
Table of Contents
What The Order Says
According to the memo, the Finance Department had been considering this move for some time. The stated goal is to integrate every procurement agency under the state government with the GeM platform to bring transparency, efficiency and economy into public procurement.
Deadline: Three Months From September 23
The order gives a clear window. Heads of Departments and Subordinate Offices must complete the entire onboarding process within three months of the memo’s issuance date. Counting from 23.09.2026, that works out to roughly 23.12.2026 as the practical cut-off for getting every unregistered office onto GeM.
Who Gets This Circular
The copy list is long and covers nearly every rung of the administration: Principal Accountant General (A&E and Audit), Director of Treasuries and Accounts, all three Kolkata Pay & Accounts Offices, Divisional Commissioners, District Magistrates, District Judges, Superintendents of Police, Sub-Divisional Officers, Treasury Officers and Block Development Officers. Financial Advisors of every department are also on the list, which signals this isn’t a symbolic instruction.
What Changes At Your Office
- This order doesn’t touch salary, pension or DA directly, but if you work as a Drawing and Disbursing Officer or in a store/purchase section, your day-to-day buying process changes immediately.
- Stationery, furniture, computer hardware, printing jobs and even several service contracts will now need to be sourced through GeM rather than local vendors or quotations.
- Offices not yet registered on GeM need administrative action right away; procuring outside GeM after the deadline could invite audit objections.
- Finance and accounts staff may need fresh training on uploading bills, invoices and processing payments through the GeM portal.
Old Process vs New Process
| Aspect | Before | After (GeM Mandatory) |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement method | Local tender/quotation | Through GeM portal |
| Transparency | Limited, office-specific | Centrally trackable |
| Vendor pool | Local suppliers | GeM-registered vendors nationwide |
| Responsibility | DDO/store section | DDO plus GeM onboarding team |
| Timeline | Not fixed | 3 months (by around 23.12.2026) |
Once this takes effect, any audit or inspection is likely to flag purchases made outside GeM. If you handle procurement or accounts in your office, it’s worth checking your GeM registration status now rather than waiting for the deadline to approach.
Department: Finance
Source: https://finance.wb.gov.in/writereaddata/3557-F(Y).pdf
📥 Download Govt Order
