Ineffective computerisation in TN agri dept : CAG

Chennai, May 16 (UNI) The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report for the year ended March 31, 2007 has said heat computerisation in Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has been ineffective due to his lack of input and validation controls, resulting in deficient and unreliable database.

Talking to newspersons here today, Accountant General Commercial and Receipt Audit, Tamil Nadu, S Murugaiah said the National Informatics Centre developed software were deficient and required feeding several items of either already available data or derived data, which combined lack of input and validation controls, resulting in deficient and unreliable database.

According to the report, computerised system like 'File Monitoring System' and 'Personnel Information System' were discontinued due to lack of long term IT plan.

The district offices did not have enough manpower to gather 1,300 items of data every week for the computerised 'Monday Message Monitoring System, which was installed in the department long back.

The CAG report also indicated that failure to follow programming like life cycle resulted in deficient and erroneous application software being implemented. Errors in the application software remained uncorrected for more than two years.

The report said due to defective system design, several items of information that were already available in system were captured repeatedly resulting in errors.

An amount of Rs 3.02 crore released by the Union Government in May 2006 for 'AGRISNET' scheme remained unutilised and was transferred to a personal deposit account, the report added.

UNI SNR ROY AK ND1516