(1) The timeframe for completion of various stages of the process of procurement as per section 9 of the Act shall be as specified in the Schedules which shall be notified by the Finance Department subsequent to the notification of these rules:
Provided that, in appropriate cases, the Head of the concerned Administrative Department may, in consultation with the concerned financial advisor, relax the prescribed time frame in respect of a particular procurement by a procuring entity under it after recording the reasons thereof in writing.
(2) The time frame for making decisions on bids by the competent sanctioning authorities shall be as specified in the Schedules which shall be notified by the Finance Department subsequent to the notification of these rules . A decision on acceptance or rejection of bids invited in a procurement process must be taken by the competent sanctioning authority well within the period of original validity of the bids and within the time frame specified in the Schedules which shall be notified by the Finance Department subsequent to the notification of these rules counted from the date of opening of technical bids in cases of two envelope system or from the date of opening of financial bid in cases of single envelop system.
(3) In exceptional circumstances, the State Government may relax the period prescribed in the Schedules for Administrative Departments, Finance Committees, Boards, Societies, Empowered Committee, Authorities and Autonomous Councils.
(4) If a procuring entity or sanctioning authority has not been able to take a decision on bids within the time period specified in the Schedules or as has been relaxed in terms of sub-rule (3) above, it shall forthwith, within the second working day of the expiry of such time period, report the matter to the Head of the concerned Administrative Department with intimation to the State Procurement Facilitation Cell indicating the specific reason for the delay and also publish the reason thereof in the State Public Procurement Portal. The Head of the concerned Administrative Department shall consider such report and reason for the delay and take appropriate action in accordance with the relevant law framed under Article 309 of the Constitution of India or direct such action to be taken.