HERALD EXCLUSIVE
SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: This is “virtually” unbelievable. The master computer attached to the server of the National Informatics Centre at the
Herald investigated the story after some casual conversations revealed that officials of several departments realized that wrong dates were reflecting on their department computers causing several problems between December 24 and 26 when the NIC server was tampered with.
The “pre fixing” of dates meant that any file or mail or letter generated from any of the computers linked to the server would, show the fixed date as the date of that file generation. The logical motive, therefore, was to ensure that letters of appointment or even call letters for interviews would reflect dates prior to the code of conduct
Sources in the NIC revealed that the matter is under investigation and an engineer connected with the NIC has been sent on forced leave but officials in the central agency are tightlipped and refuse to reveal anything.
Sources further added that departments complained to the chief secretary as well as the NIC in charge in Goa J J R Anand.
“NIC officials started an inquiry and asked the secretariat engineer to proceed on leave pending the probe,” sources said adding “inquiries revealed that the dates were changed on the master computer so that backdated appointment and offer letters could be issued”.
The NIC Goa center established state wide area network GOANET and SAN based data center at the
“It is at the secretariat office where the server was tampered with and therefore the senior engineer in-charge of this division was forced to go on leave,” sources said.
The State Election Commission has already taken cognizance of reports that the state government conducted interviews and issued orders post announcement of elections. The electricity, mines, health, art and culture and education departments are under EC scanner.
The EC has also asked the departments for a written reply on the matter.
When contacted Anand denied the developments, terming them just as rumours. However, his denial lacked the authority and also sincerity. “No, there is nothing like that they are just rumours,” he said. He also denied that any engineer has been sent on forced leave. “There is no inquiry neither any engineer has been sent on forced leave,” he said.
However, our own inquiries further revealed that Mr Ramnathan, NIC in-charge at the secretariat division, where the server is set up is on leave for the past few days without any valid reason.
Sources said that it is next to impossible to get leave in NIC during elections without any valid reason.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava too was diplomatic in his reply on the issue.“I have no clue as I was out of station for past two days” he told Herald promising to revert with information. The damage, however, has already been done.
NIC NACS
-NIC Goa state center and NIC district centers at both the collectorates cater to information and data needs of the government of
– NIC hosts major websites of government departments
-A computer cell in the secretariat is equipped with state of the art data center with SAN and a network operation center connecting both district collectorates and all 11 taluka offices with leased lines.
