SRINAGAR: The Ladakh Administration has prohibited the procurement of digital hardware and infrastructure through the Union Government’s e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for Police Stations and Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), in compliance with a Supreme Court directive.
The administration has constituted a five-member Procurement Committee to oversee the purchase of computers, hardware and internet connectivity equipment, ensuring that the infrastructure conforms to technical specifications prescribed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and is procured at cost-effective prices.
The committee was constituted through Order No. 533-LA(GAD) of 2026, dated November 4, following the Supreme Court’s October 5 order in SLP (Crl.) No. 11263/2025, G. Ganesh versus State of Tamil Nadu and Others.
The Chief Secretary or Administrative Secretary of the Home Department will chair the committee, which includes the Director General of Police, the Special Secretary of the Vigilance Department, the Assistant Inspector General (CIV) at Police Headquarters, who is also the Nodal Officer for the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), and a representative of NIC.
The Special Secretary of the Vigilance Department has been designated as a mandatory oversight member and will participate in all committee proceedings to ensure the procurement of modern technology at fair prices through negotiations, while safeguarding the public exchequer.
The order makes committee members personally accountable before the Supreme Court for any deviation from the requirements of procuring up-to-date technology at cost-effective prices. It also directs the committee to function on an urgent, weekly basis to meet the one-month deadline for providing the required infrastructure.
All financial transactions and purchase orders must be transparently documented for submission in compliance reports to the Supreme Court.
The committee will operate under the overall framework of the High-Level Coordination Committee and exercise administrative and financial oversight over the procurement process.
