Tech firm likely to lose contract for faulty bills
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 21
The Electricity Department may cancel the contract awarded to the Verna-based firm whose software malfunctioned resulting in erroneous power billing in four sub-divisions.
Talking to Herald Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira said that the department is looking into all the options including cancellation of the contract with the software firm.
“We are totally unhappy with the functioning of the software,” Sequeira said adding, “The software was provided to the Electricity Department by Information and Technology (IT) Department.”
He clarified that the software was not purchased during his tenure, but provided by IT department to the Electricity Department when Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was handling the power portfolio.
“After the department came to know about the error-ridden software, we called for a meeting of the stakeholders, including the IT department, two months back,” the minister said adding that several reminders were sent to the firm.
The minister said the department engineers put forth all their problems related to the software but unfortunately the company does not seem to be cooperating in correcting the same. “During the meeting they had assured us the problem would be resolved soon,” he stated.
“We are therefore left with no other option, but to cancel the contract,” Sequeira added. “Since the software was installed by the IT Department, the proposal for cancellation of the contract of the software firm would be moved in the next two days,” he informed.
Herald in its weekend edition exposed that around 60,000 power consumers from Tiswadi were facing faulty billings after the software installed by the IT Department had developed a snag.
Senior officials had said that all the four sub divisions of Tiswadi – Taleigao, Bambolim, Corlim and Panjim, were flooded with consumers rushing with error-laden bills.
The department is dogged with the serious issue of ‘zero billing’ and also in many cases bills are generated even where connections have been permanently cut.
