(1) The State Government shall establish a State Procurement Facilitation Cell which shall be headed by an officer not below the rank of a Secretary to the Government.
(2) The State Procurement Facilitation Cell shall discharge the following functions, namely:-
(a) to maintain and update the State Public Procurement Portal set up under section 17;
(b) to arrange for training and certification specified in terms of section 48;
(c) to recommend to the State Government measures for effective implementation of the provisions of this Act;
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(d) to provide guidance, consistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules and guidelines made thereunder, to the procuring entities with respect to the matter relating to public procurement;
(e) to study different methods of public procurement and prepare and recommend standard bidding documents, pre-qualification documents or bidder registration documents;
(f) subject to the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 28, encourage procuring entities to adopt electronic procurement; and
(g) to discharge such other functions as may be assigned to it by the State Government consistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules and guidelines made thereunder.
(3) The State Procurement Facilitation Cell shall have the power to require a procuring entity or any other person by notice in writing to furnish such information as may be necessary for performing its functions under this Act.