CHAPTER-XI Purchase of Stationary & Printing Stores and Printing of Forms

Purchase Policy – 1101 Purchase in India – 1102 Tenders – 1103 Preferences – 1104 Inspection and Tests – 1105 Deleted – 1106 Inter Departmental Purchases – 1107 Powers of purchase - 1108 Powers of General Managers –1109 Deleted –1110 List 'A' Stationery Stores –1111 Deleted –1112 - 1113 Indents for Stationery – 1114 –1115 - 1116 Scales for Supply of Stationery –1117 Check of Indents - 1118 Consolidated Indents – 1119 Payment for Stationery Obtained through the Controller of Printing and Stationery-1120 Stationery Depot - 1121 Receipt and Accountal-1122 Issues-1123 Durable Articies - 1124 Inspection of Stationery in offices-1125 Forms and Printed Registers-1126 Schedule of Forms - 1127 Printing of Forms – 1128 Printing in outside Presses – 1129 Alteration or modification of Standard Forms – 1130 Introduction of Local Forms – 1131 Cost of Forms – 1132 Accountal of Forms – 1133 Requisition for Forms- 1134 Issue Notes unpriced – 1135 Verification of balances of Stationery, Forms and Printed Registers – 1136 Purchase of Typewriters – 1137 Calculating, Tabulating and Accounting Machines –1138 Different Pattern of Machines – 1139 Typewriters for Temporary offices – 1140 Servicing Contracts – 1141 Inspection of Machines- 1142 Major Repairs – 1143 - 1144 Bills of Repairs- 1145 Spare parts- 1146 Condemnation procedure – 1147 Disposal of Condemned Machines - 1148. CHAPTER XI

Purchase of Stationary & Printing Stores and Printing of Forms

1101. Purchase Policy-The policy of the Government of India is to make their purchases of printing and stationery stores for the public service in such a way as to encourage the development of the industries of the country to the utmost possible extent consistent with economy and efficiency. In accordance with this policy, the following rules are prescribed for the purchase of such stores for Railways. These rules supersede all previous orders on the subject and apply to the purchase of all the Ptg. and Sty. Stores as dealt with and supplied by the Govt. of India, Controller of Ptg. and Sty. from time to time. In the case of items procured through Director General of Supplies and Disposals the rules prescribed in chapter VIII would apply. (Authority-ACS No. 166-S)

1102. Purchase in India-Save as provided in Rule 1106, all stationery and Printing stores required to be purchased for the railways should be purchased on the condition that delivery is made in India for payment in rupees in India.

1103. Tenders- (a) Tenders should be invited in India and also abroad when considered desirable, unless the value of the order to be placed is small or sufficient reasons (which shall be recorded) exist for concluding that it is not in the public interest to can for tenders.

(b) No tender which fails to comply with the conditions as to delivery and payment prescribed in paragraph 1102 should be accepted.

(c) Tenders should be opened after intimation to the tenderers and in the presence of those tenderers who desire to attend.

1104. Preferences- (a) Preferences in making purchases should be given in the following order:-

Firstly, to articles produced in India in the form of raw materials or manufactured in India from raw materials produced in India, provided that the quality is sufficiently good for the purpose;

Secondly, to articles wholly or partially manufactured in India from imported materials, provided that the quality is sufficiently good for the purpose;

Thirdly, to articles manufactured abroad and held in stock in India, provided that they are of suitable type and requisite quality;

Fourthly, to articles manufactured abroad which need to be specially imported.

(b) The Controller of Printing and Stationery may, when he is satisfied that such a measure is justified, allow with the sanction of the Government of India a limited degree of preference in respect of price to articles produced or manufactured in India either wholly or in part. Note -The Dy. Controller of Printing & Stationery, Calcutta is the Central Purchasing Officer for Stationery Stores and the requirements of Railways have to be obtained from him.

(Authority: -Ministry of Works, Housing and Supplies Office Memorandum No. 51/1/62/S-II/1 dated 11.09.1962).

1105. Inspections and Tests- All articles should be subject to inspection before acceptance and articles for which specifications and/or tests have been prescribed should be required to conform to such specifications and or to satisfy such tests.

1106. Deleted.

1107. Inter-Departmental Purchases-Nothing in these rules should be deemed to prohibit the purchase of articles by one Department of Railway from another.

1108. Power of Purchase-The Controller of Printing and Stationery, India, exercises full powers.

1109. Power of General Managers- The General Managers have full powers to make direct purchase in emergencies i.e. arising out of delay on the part of or failure of supplies from the Govt. of India Stationery Office or sudden unforeseen demands, subject to the conditions that such purchases at any one time should not exceed 3 months requirements. These powers can be exercised by the Controller of Stores upto Rs. 1,00,000/- for each item at a time in proven emergencies in consultation with the FA & CAO.

Note-Immediately any purchase is made, its effect on the pending indent should be assessed and information sent to the Controller of Printing and Stationery, New Delhi, indicating

(i) The party from whom purchased;

(ii) The rates paid and;

(iii) Ale reference to the pending indent.

The General Managers can redelegate the above powers to the Heads of Departments, Divisional Railway Managers and District/Divisional Officers posted away from the Railway/Divisional Headquarters to the extent considered necessary in consultation with the FA&CAO upto an overall ceiling limit of Rs. 20,0001- per annum for any individual officer. This should be subject to the condition that -

(i) It should be so regulated that the overall procurement of stationery stores, including those received through the Govt. of India Stationery Office, does not exceed the total requirement calculated on the basis of the ' Quantity scale ' prescribed by the Controller of Printing and Stationery for consumption of different items of Stationery by various categories of staff, (ii) These delegations do not extend to the purchase of paper for printing purpose etc., which are procured through Director General of Supplies and Disposals for which separate limits and instructions exist.

(Authority: -ACS-119 and Rly. Board's letter No. 79/F(S)I/PW-7/5, dated 05.11.1983)

1110. Deleted. (ACS 120-S)

1111. List "A" Stationery Stores: -

(i) Paper of all kinds except for printing purposes, whether in sheets, rolls, reels or pads and envelopes of all kinds.

(ii) Mill boards, pulp boards, paste boards, and straw boards.

(iii) Parchment and vellum (imitation or real).

(iv) Bookbinding materials.

(v) Books (blanks, rules or loose leaf including equipment).

(vi). Writing and drawing materials including- (a) Pens, pencils, crayons, chalks (writing and drawing) and pen-nibs of all kinds (b) Inks, ink-powders, ruling paste, ink-stands and inkpots; (c) Water colours and boxes, saucers and brushes for such colours and slants. (d) Rulers, tracing cloth, ferro-gallic linen and ferroprussiate cloth. (e) Erasers (steel or rubber), slates, sponges and pads (writing blotting and signature)

(vii) Desk appliances including (a) Knives, hones, scissors, punching and stapling tools, bells (b) Envelope cases, trays, date cards, tag labels. (c) Pins, pin-cushions, fasteners, paper-cutters, eyelets, paper clips, paper weights, gum bottles and brushes and sealing wax.

(viii) Rubber stamps, metal seals etc., rollers (rubber thumb-impression and cyclostyle) thumb impression slabs and pocket cases pads (rubber and leather) for stamping.

Note- General Manager may exercise full powers for direct purchase of rubber stamps and office seals in case of non supply or delay in supply of these items through the Govt. of India stationery office and redelegate these powers to Heads of Departments, Divisional Railway Managers and Additional /Dy. Chief Mech. Engineers holding independent charge of Railway Workshops to the extent considered necessary.

(ix) Glue, gum, paste, tags, tape, strap thread and twine, if required for office purpose.

(x) Packing cases and other packing materials (for stationery, offices and printing presses only). (Authority- ACS-111-S, 167-S) 1112. Deleted. (Authority- ACS No. 168-S).

1113. Deleted. (Authority- ACS No. 168-S).

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUPPLY

1114. Indents for Stationery-The various departments, stations and offices of the railway should submit to the Controller of Stores or the Superintendent Printing and Stationery, the indents of their annual requirements of stationery on a date to be fixed by the Controller of Stores or Supdt. Printing and Stationery.

1115. The statutory Railway Auditors and the Commissioner / Addl. Commissioner for Railway safety should submit their indents for stationery to the Controller of Stores or the Superintendent, Printing and Stationery of the railway to which they are attached, in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph. The cost of stationery supplied to them should be debited to them by book transfer.

1116. For the purpose of this rule, the Chief Auditors and Commissioner / Add. Commissioner for Railway safety of respective circles should be considered as attached to the Railways concerned.

1117. (a) Scales for Supply of Stationery.-The scale for the supply of stationery to ordinary offices is prescribed in the schedule at Appendix VlI to this Code. For Traffic and other special offices the scale may be prescribed by the General Manager. In preparing their indents, the officers concerned should see that the sanctioned scales are not exceeded and that there is adequate budget provision to cover the cost of stationery included in their indents.

(b). Use of Blank Registers-- Officers and supervising staff of offices should take care to see that blank registers are not brought into use indiscriminately. Whenever it is proposed to open a register for any purpose, it should be seen that such use is prescribed by local circulars or other orders issued by the head of the office or department concerned.

1118. Check of Indents-Indents from departmental officers and stations and offices should be checked with the sanctioned scale for such offices. When items not in the sanctioned scale are included in the indent or when no scale has been laid down for the particular office indenting for the stationery, the requisitions should be entertained only if the indents have been countersigned by the head of the Department concerned. It will rest with the General Manager of the Railway to prescribe rules prohibiting the supply of particular items of stationery without his sanction or that of an officer authorised in this behalf. In such cases the Stationery Depot will be responsible to see that indents for such excepted items are signed or countersigned by competent authority. 1119. Consolidated Indents-From the indents received from the various authorities, one general annual indent for stationery should be complied for the General Manager to the Controller of Printing and Stationery, for compliance. This indent should also include the Stationery required for such working forms and returns as are to be printed in the railway press. The indent should be prepared in forms which will be supplied by the Controller of Printing and Stationery and these should be submitted annually at such times, as will ensure their reaching the Controller of Printing and Stationery on dates which will be fixed by him from time to time for the Govt Railways in communication with the General Manager. Emergent indents on the Controller of Printing and Stationery are not admitted except in cases of necessity. The practice of sending indents at irregular intervals should be avoided as far as possible as it entails additional expenses in packing and carriage.

1120. Payment for stationery obtained through the Controller of Printing and Stationery- All bills will be sent by the Controller of Printing and Stationery direct to the Superintendent Printing and Stationery of the Railway, in quadruplicate who should pass the original and duplicate copies of the bills to the Stores Accounts Officer with the Receipt order number quoted on them. All bills should be duly endorsed for allocation and acceptance. These should be treated like bills received from the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals and dealt with accordingly after verification with the credits in the Purchase account register which should be posted from the triplicate copy of the bills received from the Superintendent Printing and Stationery, after he has posted his numerical records. All Supdt. Printing and Stationery should retain the fourth copy of the bill for his record.

1121. Stationery Depot-All stationery including manuscript registers should be stocked in and issued from a depot organised on the lines of other Stores Depots. A nomenclature and Price List should also be maintained as for other stores.

1122. Receipt and Accountal-The supplies from the Controller of Printing and Stationery. should be checked with the entries in the annual and emergent indents and the bill for the cost of the stationery which accompanies the supplies should be receipted and sent to the Stores Accounts Officer for audit and payment. The charges should be accepted by debit to the head "Purchases" but printing stores and such other materials as are to be exclusively used in the railway press for printing and allied work, may be forwarded direct to the press and the cost allocated in the bill to the Press Manufacture Account.

1123. Issues- When the stationery 'becomes available for issue, the Stationery Depot Keeper should take steps to comply with the annual indents received from various offices taking care to see that no article is issued.

(i). in excess of the sanctioned scale or to an office for which there is no sanctioned scale, unless the indent has been countersigned by the Head of the Department or

(ii) the supply of which has been prohibited by the General Manager, or

(iii) which is a durable article as defined in the following paragraph. 1124. Durable Articles-The following items of stationery are classed as durable and should not he issued on annual indents

1. Baskets, waste paper. 22. Rulers (of sorts). 2. Binders, loose leaf (of sorts). 23 Scissors (of sorts). 3. Bells, office, call. 24 Slabs (tin) for thumb impression. 4. Binders, brass screw. 25. Slates. 5. Blotters, wooden. 26. Trays, tin, office. 6. Blotting pads. 27. Trays, tin, office (with lid) 7. Boxes, despatch. 28. Weights, paper. 8. Brushes (of sorts) 29. Colour boxes, tin (empty). 9. Cabinets, stationery. 30. Cases, tin (for drawings). 10. Cards, date indicator. 31. Oilers for typewriters. 11. Clips, paper (of sorts). 32. Pads Byford. 12. Cutters, paper (bone) 33. Pens, cyclostyle. 13. Gum bottles, empty. 34. Pins drawing. 14. Hones. 35. Rods, ranging. 15. Ink pots (of sorts) 36. Saucers, china. 16. Knives, desk (of sorts), 37. Screw-drivers for typewriters. Ink stands wooden 38. Slabs for mixing colours. 17. Leather covers for despatch 39. Stencil plates (of sorts) boxes. 40. Therometers (of sorts) 18. Pads.for rubber and metal stamps. 19. Pen racks. 20. Pads, self-inking. 21. Pin cusions.

These are to be issued on emergent requisitions only when the unserviceable article have been returned to the stationery depot or when a certificate to the effect that it is a new supply, not issued before, is appended to the requisition. To expedite compliance with such demands, indentors should quote in the requisition the number and date of the Advice Note (S. 1539) under which the unserviceable articles have been returned and endorse the Advice Note as follows: -

'" For replacement, vide Requisition No...... and date".

Note- Broken articles, which will not fetch any value, e.g. ink-pots and gum, bottles, need not be returned to the Stationery depot. In the case of such articles, the head of the office should certify (on the requisition) that the articles in question are not fit for any use. 1125. Inspection of Stationery in Offices: -Occasional checks should be made of the stocks of stationery at offices by either the Accounts Verification staff or special staff deputed by the Controller of Stores or Supdt. Printing and Stationery. If the stock in hand is discovered to be in excess of normal requirements of the book balance of the office, it shall be the duty of the office concerned to return to the stationery depot the articles found to be in excess. They should be taken into the stock of the stationery depot by credit to stock adjustment account.

FORMS AND PRINTED REGISTERS

1126. Categories of Forms- The forms in use on railways fall under two main categories: -

(a) Standard and

(b) Local.

Standard forms and registers are those prescribed by Code Rules, orders of the Railway Board and which are common for all railways. Local forms and registers are those introduced under the orders of the General Manager or Chief Accounts Officer to meet local requirements.

1127.Schedule of Forms - Each railway should maintain a complete schedule of standard and local forms and printed registers in use on the railway. The numbers, if any, assigned by the prescribing authority to Standard Form, etc. should be adopted, without change, for use in this schedule and the forms themselves. If for any reason different numbers are assigned by the railway to such forms, the original numbers should also be exhibited alongwith for easy identification of the forms. The authority for the standard and local forms i.e., reference to the relevant paragraph of the Codes or other, should be quoted in the schedule.

1128. Printing of Forms- Standard and local forms and printed registers should be printed in the Railway Press wherever one exists. Departments should advise the Supdt. of Ptg. and Sty. annually or half yearly, as may be arranged, of their requirements of the standard and local forms and Printed Registers. Such indents should be carefully scrutinised by the Heads of offices with relation to the statistics of work in each office and unnecessary items or quantities deleted before submission. The Printing Supdt. should make the necessary arrangements for printing, stocking a working supply and issue of the forms and registers.

1129. Printing in Outside Presses-If a railway press is unable to undertake a work on account of pressure of work or lack of suitable facilities, or the railway has no press of its own the work may be got executed in outside presses, with the sanction of the General Manager, or that of the Heads of Departments or, other lower authorities, if power in this respect has been delegated to them by the General Manager. In arranging for printing work in outside presses, the General purchase policy should be followed. (Authority: -A.C.S. No. 63). 1130. Alteration or Modification of Standard Forms- No alteration or modification in respect of the title, the distinguishing number and the information prescribed in a standard form should be made without the sanction of the Railway Board. The size and substance of paper for the forms should be as per schedule of standard forms issued by the Railway Board. Subject to this restriction, any addition or modification which may be found necessary to suit conditions purely local to a railway may be made in a standard form at the discretion of a railway administration. When the revision of a standard form is undertaken by the Railway Board the railway administration will be informed in time, so that they may not print or order for, another supply without first referring to authority revising the form. The railway administration should ordinarily print and issue the revised form, after any existing, stock of the old has been exhausted, but if for special reasons, it is necessary to bring the revised form into use at once, they will be advised accordingly. They should then print the new form, but any remaining stock of the old forms should not be destroyed without the orders of the General Manager. (Authority : A.C.S. No. 88-S).

1131. Introduction of Local Forms-No new local forms may be introduced without the approval of the General Manager or the Chief Accounts Officer. Any revision of authorised local forms or discontinuance of their use which will necessitate the destruction of existing stock exceeding Rs. 100/- in value should not be given effect to without the orders of the General Manager or the Chief Accounts Officer. (Authority: A.C.S. No. 89-S).

1132. Cost of Forms-The Supdt. Printing and Stationery should advise the departments each year, at the time of the preparation of the Budget, of the sums (arrived at on basis of past year's statistics) which should be provided for the debits for forms in their budgets. Any revision required in the figures as shown by the actual cost of the forms should also be advised to the department at the time of the submission of the Revised Budget.

The debits should be raised at the time of printing through the press accounts and issues made subsequently on unpriced issue notes. The cost of forms which are to be used only by a particular department should be debited to that department and that of general forms to be used by various departments should be distributed proportionately on the basis of the consumption by each department.

1133. Accountal of Forms- Numerical ledgers, only need be maintained for forms. The receipts should be posted from the challans of the Supdt. of the Railway press and the Receipt Notes for local purchase in the case of orders on outside presses. Balances in the ledgers should be struck at the end of each month.

1134. Requisition for Forms- Requisitions from indenting officers should be complied with immediately if the forms indented for are in stock. If they are not in stock, the orders of the competent authority should be obtained for the printing of fresh supplies.

1135. Issue Notes Unpriced- Issue notes in triplicate should be used for issue of forms to indenting officers of the railway. Two copies should be sent along-with the supply, the other remaining as the record of the depot. The Indenting Officer should return one copy duly receipted which be filled with the copy of the requisition. 1136. Verification of Balances of Stationery, Forms and Printed Registers- Departmental stock verification should be carried out as prescribed for other general stores in paragraph1339- S. Accounts Stock verification should be carried out once in three years as provided in paragraph 3327-S.

OFFICE MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES

1137. Purchase of Typewriters- Typewriters, Duplicators, Calculating, Tabulating & Accounting machines and similar machines required for use on Railways should, like other Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals items, be obtained by placing indents on the Directorate General of Supplies & Disposals. The procedure for procurement of these office machines will be the same as applicable for other stores i.e. the Controller of Stores should, except where otherwise has been exempted from doing so, place indent on DGS &D beyond the monetary limits prescribed for direct purchase from time to time. The rules prescribed in Chapter VIII would apply in this case also.

1138. Calculating, Tabulating and Accounting Machines- No calculating machine or tabulating and accounting machine of new type for any accounts office or for accounts works in any other office on the railway may be obtained without the sanction of the General Manager and without the prior concurrence of the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer who is responsible for seeing that if the machine is introduced he will still get the initial accounts in the form he requires.

1139. Different Patterns of Machines- The General Manager may authorise the purchase and use of typewriters, duplicators and, similar machines of more than one pattern provided that only those patterns are admitted which have been specially approved of and that before a new pattern approved, it shall have been fully established after trials that it possesses special advantages and is important points superior to those already in use; provided also that the pattern chosen is one that can be obtained on reasonable terms by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals from local representatives of the manufacturers.

1140. Typewriters for Temporary Offices- Typewriters required for temporary offices and by Commissions, Committees, Boards of Inquiries and offices of Officers on Special Duty and also typewriters required on ad-hoc basis for temporary period should he obtained on hire. The heads of Deptts. and Heads of offices may sanction such hiring for a period of six months & four months respectively beyond which the sanction of the Board would be necessary.

1141. Servicing Contracts- The DGS&D enters into annual servicing and over-hauling contracts with the firms holding contracts for the main machines. The Heads of Deptts. and Heads of offices will operate against these contracts for the maintenance of the typewriters and office machines in their respective offices. Office machines for which the DGS&D does not enter into contracts will be maintained by the Railway either by entering into ad-hoc annual contracts themselves on competitive basis with die concurrence of associated finance or by making local arrangements. At the places where the firms holding servicing contracts with DGS&D do not have any servicing facilities, the up-keep and. repair of typewriters and other office machines will be undertaken by the Deptts. concerned themselves either by entering into ad-hoc annual contracts or by making local arrangements. In order to ensure against payment of different rates for servicing and over-hauling of the machines, the Heads of Deptts. will ascertain from the firms whether they already have a similar contracts with any other Govt Dept./ office.

Note-It may be noted that Companies supplying new office machines undertake to maintain them free of cost for a certain period called warranty period from the date of purchase.

1142. Inspection of Machines- Each machine will be examined quarterly or as per the terms of the agreement by the Company with which the servicing contract is made. These inspections include inspecting, cleaning oiling and when necessary repairing and generally adjusting and putting in good working order each machine before the next inspection. Upon the periodical inspection etc. by the Companies Mechanic being completed, the Head of the office or Branch should furnish voucher certifying that the work has been satisfactorily carried out.

1143. Major Repair- "Major Repairs" are repairs beyond the periodical maintenance work. Major repair will be carried out as per procedure detailed in the agreement at the nearest branch of the company to which the machine should be sent by the owning officer. Upon the typewriter being returned after repairs the owning office should furnish a receipt to the company certifying that the repairs have been carried out in a satisfactory manner and that the machine is in good working order.

Note -If necessary, a serviceable second hand typewriter can be had on free loan from the company to enable the owning office to carry on during the period their machine is undergoing repairs.

1144. Heavy repairs and over-hauling of any kind of office machinery and appliances should not be ordered before proper estimates have been submitted by the firms and approved and funds certified by the competent Authority.

1145. Bills for Repairs- The firm should submit their bill to Head of Deptt./Head of the Office concerned who should arrange payments to the firm in the manner as may be indicated in the Rate Contracts concluded by the DGS&D or servicing agreements entered into directly by them.

1146. Spare Parts- The Heads of Deptts. / Head of Offices should obtain the copies of Rate Contracts/Servicing Contracts concluded by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals Subject Railway Board Date Zonal Railway Date Reference Reference of Stores Depot Officers and Divisional Stores held on 01.10.94 at Garden Reach. for servicing and over-hauling of the office machines. These contracts will indicate the prices of the spare parts to be replaced by the firms at the time of repair / servicing. The contracts entered into directly by the Heads of Deptts./Heads of Offices should also indicate the prices of various spare parts required to be used at the time of repair/servicing of the machines. The rates of these spare parts should be verified before passing the bills for payment. For proper verification, the correct Part Nos. should be indicated in the servicing contracts and the same should be quoted in their repair bills by the firms.

1147. Condemnation Procedure-The Heads of Deptts. will decide whether the typewriters and other office machines in use in their offices and in the offices subordinate to them can be economically repaired. They will be competent to condemn such machines themselves in their offices and in the offices subordinate to them depending upon the life and condition of the machine, cost of repairs, the expected life of the repaired machine vis-à-vis the cost of new machine and its expected life.

1148. Disposal of Condemned Machines---The condemned machines will be returned to the Superintendent, Printing & Stationary of the Railway for arranging disposal. These machines should be disposed off in the same manner as other condemned / scrapped materials by the Railways as per procedure out-lined in Chapter XXIV of Stores Code.