[Fsf-india] IKM and national honours

[CK Raju]

This is their latest strategy , to go to the press and make tall claims. 

The Information Kerala Mission has done it again, by making tall claims that 
it would be taking the national honours this time. By claiming that they have 
developed world class software (on MS platforms, which is silent), they have 
succeeded in hiding the total cost involved till date by the project 
(believed to be over Rs 100 lakh every year since 1998; it is  Rs 168 lakh 
for  2002-03) for development alone (by way of State Govt grants), and the 
total cost needed for deploying the software applications in the local bodies 
of  the state. This figure would be mind-boggling at Rs 1.5 lakh (minimum) 
each  for the 1200 strong network. That would peg the cost of deployment of 
the package alone, at over Rs 1800 lakh. Recurring costs for licenses, 
after every three years, which is even more important, is also missed out.

Can the 'Press'  make sense out of these figures and their claim of 
"national honours" ? 

I feel its high time some serious auditing is done (even by the judiciary, 
through PILs, if needed) to bring out the true picture on the planned 
utilisation of public funds.

The atrocious part comes in the end of the news article, appearing in "The 
Hindu" of 14 Apr 02, that such solutions can be utilised for all other 
developing nations. And that such transparent mechanisms are designed  to 
oversee that pensions are not misutilised at the local level, through false 
claims !!

Are there any mechanisms to oversee that the whole dealing is unearthed and 
out in the public ?  Will someone help ? Maybe we can contribute to stop the 
disaster from spreading to other parts of country and rest of  the world.

CK Raju,
Kerala Institute of Local Administration,
Thrissur.