Bhubaneswar: In an effort to speed up implementation of various infrastructure projects, the Odisha has decided to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the tender management process.
This was revealed by Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Tuesday. He said the state government has chalked out ambitious plans to transform the functioning of the Works department.
Sharing details of the various reform measures being taken up by his department, the Minister said the entire tender evaluation system, right from submission of bids to project commencement, will soon be driven by AI-based software and moved fully online.
The bid evaluation period can be reduced from the current two to 2.5 months to just one week with the help of AI. It will ensure faster project commencement and timely completion, he said.
People will be able to get various services quickly in a transparent manner with the help of this proposed system which will minimise delays in project execution, said Harichandan.
Stating that the department has already initiated steps to enable online applications, he said talks were held with a research team on Monday for finalisation of the technical roadmap. The proposed AI system will handle bid evaluation, comparison of technical and financial bids, identification of responsive bids, and monitoring of the entire tender process.
All these tasks are now being handled manually, causing a delay of 4 to 5 months between the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the commencement of work, the Minister said.
As per another significant decision, external agencies will now be required to register in the Contractor Database before taking up any work in the state. Unregistered outside contractors will not be allowed to execute government projects in the state.
The department is also developing a Project Monitoring Dashboard to provide real-time updates on project progress which will ensure accountability and transparency, the Minister said.
