Plan to modernise PF may get burial today

Originally to be completed in 22 months in six pilot locations, the project is more than 66 months behind schedule, largely due to bureaucratic bungling, ministerial neglect and sabotage by the department's insiders wary of losing their fiefdoms. While it was slightly behind schedule by May 2004, under the UPA, the project has been completely derailed.

In the project's chequered history, this is not the first time a committee was set up to monitor progress. Earlier panels included then Nasscom chief Kiran Karnik, NIIT chairman P Rajendran, former CVC N Vittal and Gulshan Rai. After the Gupta sub-committee assessed problems on both the software front as well as on EPFO's front, the Director General of NIC held discussions with EPFO and SISL for finding ways to push the project forward.

SISL had to make some changes in software design, EPFO had to pay for the changes and fix practical deadlines for delivering the required data from its end. In October 2007, SISL said another Rs 6 crore would be needed to make the system work and the original contract was to be modified. Last month, when SISL sent EPFO its draft modifications to the contract with redefined milestones,..

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Article taken from the issue: 24 Jan 2008