Railways launches digital challans and digital receipts to improve transparency

Indian Railways has launched digitisation of suppliers' bills as part of the ministry's efforts to improve transparency and ease of doing business while also better aligning the Railways with ''Digital India'' initiative.

Minister of railways and coal Piyush Goyal launched on Thursday launched digital receipt note, receipted challan and digital bill submission, which will improve transparency and ease of doing business, at a suppliers' meet in New Delhi.

The suppliers' meet 'Suppliers' Samvad – Journey towards Digitisation, Transparency & Ease of Doing Business, an open house organised by the railway ministry in association with RITES Ltd and the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (Assocham) to discuss with vendors on matters covering various areas and formulate plan and strategy to meet future challenges.

Indian Railways has been implementing various initiatives to improve its efficiency and promote ease of doing business.

The Samvad allows stakeholders to discuss new ideas, issues, challenges, opportunities and concerns with an open mind.

Sharing of different perspectives, experiences and knowledge will lead to better understanding of issues involved to efficiently utilise the opportunities and effectively respond to the challenges for creating a win-win solution.

The Samvad also helps in realising the prime minister's dream of ''Digital India Where Access To Information Knows No Barrier,'' says an official release .

The supply chain of Indian Railways is regulated through a single online web-based platform which handles:

• More than Rs50,000 crore procurement through 100 per cent e-tenders annually;
• More than Rs3,000 crores auction sale through 100 percent e-auctions annually;
• More than 3.5 lakh e-tenders annually;.
• More than 76,000 registered vendors; and
• More than 3,000 registered bidders for sale of scrap materials.

The Railways is planning transformational changes and has geared up to access, understand and overcome any challenges in the journey with equal participation from the Industry, the minister said, adding that the digitisation of suppliers' bills will be a great step forward towards improving transparency and ease of doing business.

Besides, the Railways has taken various initiatives for development of indigenous vendors and the MSME sector so as to increase participation of indigenous suppliers, especially MSMEs.