All Eyes on Tomorrows meeting on IT Portal. Complete understanding as to how it is addressed. Important for all.

Whenever, an immediate solution is not there, ask for the suggestions from the people complaining. Even then, if the solutions are not coming, then refer it to a committee. This is a management maxim, which needs to be understood in the matter of Income Tax Portal, which was launched but not functional yet.

Beyond imagination, Does it mean that Infosys and the Ministries are not working out or not meeting? It is such a big thing happening, that it cannot be left over to Infosys, to work independently. It cannot be. They are just the programmers and advisors as to what they want out of the data. It is being circulated or highlighted, time and then. The work over this is continuing for more then two years. It cannot be said, that the Ministry did not knew the progress.

News in the line was there. Amendments in laws came up. The training programmes were conducted. There was not only the Ministry of Finance which would have benefited by this data base, but it was also beneficial to the other Ministries too. So it cannot be said, that the working of the portal was not monitored. That after the portal was not working, looking at the hue and cry, the Hon’ble Finance Minister called for the suggestions for the meeting that is to be held with Infosys on 22nd Instant. This clearly indicates that there is a serious problem in the evolution of the portal, which may take time. Asking for suggestions from many, means, that they would be looked into ad studied, and would be taken in the implementation. That is well understood. It means, better be silent, we are working onto it. In very kind words. We are waiting. For the change. It will really be a big change in totality. We do understand the problems. May be the world’s biggest site, handling complex financial information, being analyzed, using Artificial Intelligence, and shared to the Agencies for the actions, without personification. The good move is appreciated. The failure in implementation is appreciated too. The way the delay is being shifted is again appreciated because it silences many who are making Memes.

Let us analyze the same chronologically in light of the background mentioned above:

1.  Old Portal of Income Tax was shut down from 1st of June. Meaning the freezing of Data till then and transfer the same to the new portal, in simple way. Make the necessary gateways and the windows as per the policy laid down by Government. Meaning all the information sharing and artificial intelligence. And others. Complex wok of the vendors. Like making a Satellite to be launched. The launching date is decided. But in the last minute, complex technical problems emerge, and it is not launched.

2.  When this was not done, Memes started from all the sides. Instead of understanding the exercise, we went on raising the questions. One of the most complex sites of the world with so many features in, where confidentiality has to be looked in.

3.  Hon’ble Finance Minister tweets, that on 22nd, the Senior Authorities of Infosys, would be meeting the Senior Officials of the Ministry and suggestions and problems so faced from the professionals were sought. One week time taken by the Government. Suggestions moving, and also shared in the newspapers. 

4.  This work was going on for a period of last two years. The major glitch that has happened may require some time. It is something technical. But the Government chose a better way, they called for suggestions. Suggestions floated.

5.  This clarifies, that some major problem has come up on the site and in simple words, it will take some time to fix it. With the meeting set on Tuesday, the suggestions shall come. It will be told, that it will be taken care of. Government will say that they are monitoring the progress..

6.  If we check up with the initial functions, it looks that there is a problem on the servers and loads. That is the reasons; the site is not even displaying the data and the basics. It will not take much time for sorting the issue. It is the problem pertaining to Servers and the Loads. It is felt that this shall be shorted out as soon as the meeting is over, and a time is given. It shall make us all happy. At least for once.

7.  The second issue which looks visible is the performance of sight. There are too many windows and there are multiple information sharing windows too. There are Hitches. It looks evident. It can improve only with the due trials. The government has taken the right step in asking for the problems. It will be said that the Vendors in their monitoring are trying to solve the issues. We can see the changes every day. That will make us happy.

8.  There are so many features in the Portal, because of that lakhs of bugs have been created. If one bug is closed, it appears at the different level. It looks that the unresolved bugs are in huge numbers. It will make the functioning of site slow, it may take some bigger time to resolve.

9.  Old portal cannot be restarted. The transfer of data and its processing will further complicate the matter. So some time will be taken by them in garb of corrections. May be a few months. We look prepared for the same.

10.              The Government has taken right step to include all the people in the move so that not much hue and cry is made. Let us also understand the technicalities behind the same. The beginning is irreversible and the Government has handled it well by including us to be part of it.

11.              At this time, we should basically invest over selves, truly into the changes coming up. It is the time, to examine the nature of evidences that one assessee shall be leaving in a verified pattern in form of compliances, where data shall be shared not only to one but to all.

This is a time, where the way of practice is changing and changing is the system in the way the most complex law, called the Income Tax Act, will be interpreted. In the changing times, the art of practice and education to the client is more important.

In the changing Dimensions of Law, its understanding and transparency with the clients is important. It is to be understood, as to which are the operational laws, or procedural in conjunction with the object and which are procedural which lets the assumptions of power. These laws are strictly implemented whereas the interpretation of purposive law, changes with the time and situation. In this week few lines will be on these.