Kolkata: The West Bengal government has made e-tendering mandatory in 25 state government departments from Tuesday, November 3, requiring every new tender from those departments and their subordinate offices to be floated only on the state's new portal, tenders.wb.gov.in.

Source: IANS via Hi India

The change follows a notification issued by the Audit Branch of the state Finance Department on Monday, November 2, signed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) P K Mishra. The notification said the initiative was meant to ensure the timely and effective implementation of various government schemes and to ensure transparency in the tendering system, IANS reported.

The departments brought under the mandate include Agriculture and Agricultural Marketing, Animal Resources Development, School Education, Higher Education, Food and Supplies, Home and Hill Affairs, Fire and Emergency Services, Correctional Administration, Judicial, Disaster Management, Labour, Housing, Tourism, Information Technology and Electronics, Information and Cultural Affairs, Industries and Commerce, Fisheries, Food Processing Industries and Horticulture, Cooperation, Backward Classes Welfare, Consumer Affairs, and Women and Child Development, along with their subordinate offices.

The new portal was first launched on a trial basis in December 2025 through a Finance Department memorandum, before its scope was widened in phases this year. From Tuesday, the listed departments must follow the new rule strictly for all fresh tenders, according to the reports.

Source: eGov Magazine (Elets)

What happens next: departments covered by the order will publish new tenders only through the new portal from November 3, while tenders floated earlier continue under the process already under way. The government has not announced any change for departments outside the list of 25.