Exemption from Transparency Act extended

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah has promulgated an ordinance extending Section 16 of the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act, 1998, which provides for exemption of procurement by certain departments of the government, statutory boards and such institutions. The exemption will be extended for five more years from October 1, the ordinance issued on Tuesday said.Procurement during natural calamities, low value and local purchases as may be prescribed, procurement by spot purchase of cotton by spinning mills, oil seeds and oils by TN Agro Industries Corporation or TN Coop Oil Seeds Growers’ Federation, animals from shanties, sugarcane, paddy by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, clothing by Co-optex from registered Primary Co-operatives, milk by Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation from societies, palm oil by TNCSC, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Oil Seeds Growers’ Federation for Noon Meal Scheme, procurement from domestic small-scale industrial unit for the reserved items identified by the Central Government, etc., were among those items exempted from the purview of the Act.