The Gujarat Police has revamped its maintenance procurement system, announcing the discontinuation of the three-quotation requirement for individual repair jobs at police residential buildings and office premises across the state. Under the revised framework, offices will instead procure materials directly and maintain standing stocks — a move aimed at accelerating repairs and strengthening financial accountability.

What Prompted the Overhaul

A review of repair works carried out in 2025-26 revealed that 4,119 out of 4,789 works — costing ₹17.48 crore out of a total expenditure of approximately ₹19 crore — were routed through the three-quotation process. The system reportedly led to approval delays, administrative bottlenecks, and allegations of irregularities, prompting Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to issue a new standard operating procedure (SOP) covering routine and special repairs of both residential and non-residential police buildings statewide.

Key Changes Under the New SOP

Under the revised system, offices will obtain three quotations for materials rather than for individual repair assignments. Adequate stocks of civil and electrical supplies — including electrical fittings, spare parts, and plumbing materials — will be maintained on the model already used for clothing items at Police Headquarters. This is intended to ensure that routine issues such as leaking taps, faulty lights and fans, wiring defects, and pipeline leaks can be resolved without waiting for fresh quotations each time.

Materials will be sourced at competitive rates from authorised dealers, with records maintained to facilitate audits. The SOP explicitly calls for the use of quality materials from reputed companies to reduce the frequency of repeated repairs. Semi-skilled labourers engaged for repair work will be paid at daily wage rates prescribed by the Labour and Employment Department.

Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms

All offices must maintain stock and issue registers in a prescribed format. A Class-I or Class-II officer will physically verify materials and issue a certificate by the fifth day of every month. The head of each office must personally inspect the stock once every three months — specifically by 10 January, 10 April, 10 July, and 10 October.

Separate registers will record repair complaints related to residential buildings and offices, along with the dates on which each complaint is resolved — creating a traceable paper trail for maintenance accountability.

When Three Quotations Still Apply

Where major repairs cannot be addressed through direct material procurement and require the three-quotation route, prior written approval from the competent authority — the Commissioner of Police or the Range Head, as applicable — will be mandatory before work commences at the commissionerate, district, or unit level. Works valued at more than ₹50,000 will be classified as 'special repairs', and proposals for these must be prepared in consultation with the Executive Engineer of Gujarat State Police Housing Corporation Ltd.

Scope and Stated Goals

The new procedure will apply to police residential facilities and office premises across Gujarat. The stated objectives are to reduce administrative delays, improve day-to-day maintenance, and strengthen accountability in the use of public funds. This comes amid broader efforts by state police administrations nationwide to tighten internal procurement practices following audit findings of procedural lapses.