I am writing this article concerning the problem of the working of MCA portal. This has become a burdensome work for the professionals and every stakeholder has to suffer with the disturbed working of the MCA portal. Ultimately, Corporate world is sufferring the cost of delay which is occuring due to improper working of MCA portal.
MCA 21 came in existence in 2006. MCA21 (www.mca.gov.in) by Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) of Government of India was one of the first mission mode project of E-Governance by Govt of India implemented in 2006. It was a new thing for all the professionals, whether new or old. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was the first service provider to MCA. TCS, the operating agency has taken at least 3-4 years to make the site in order. We were always ensured by the ROC/RD/Ministry personnel that it is teething problem, once it will be overcome the functioning will be very smooth.
After completion of term of TCS, the work of MCA-21 was entrusted to a new agency, Infosys. In the year 2013, Infosys took over the project management. In the beginning, everybody would have remembered, the agency was badly failed to handle the MCA portal. Ministry had to wave the time for late filing of Charges and their satisfaction. But still there are number of cases which are still pending to be cleared. Although the portal was running, any how, in topsy-turvy condition. The performance of MCA21 project under the management of Infosys was always far below the expectations.
Before the annual filing of 2014-15 they had come with new changes and Companies / LLPs work were divided for smooth functioning. In March 2016 the Infosys people again gave a new look to the MCA 21 portal. Since March 27, it became very difficult to file papers and understand the working of the site. After TEN YEARS of its operation, we are again learning that how to operate the portal. Most of the things for which we are well accustomed have been changed and a new portal is before you. For looking any documents of your own one has to cover a longer route and more time to spend on it.
On the other hand w.e.f. 27th March, 2016 MCA portal is under unconsciousness stage. Stakeholders are not able to even login, sign, prefill, upload, pre-scrutiny check of forms. Unnecessary cookies related solutions are being suggested by the MCA.
It is not out of place to mention here that this agency has also completed more than three years. Their term is like to be completed shortly. After this again a new agency will come to operate the portal and will teach us for two to 3 years that how to operate Portal?
Will we work on the whims of agencies that they are doing better than that of previous? After all what will be our learning period and when it will end?
Efforts should be made to make this portal most user friendly so that stakeholders may easily make compliances and necessary working may be done at a shorter span of time. Every working of data management or back end work should be completed before implemented it on the portal.
Testing should not be done at the cost of stakeholders convenience. Whenever these kind of system problem arises, huge number of filing delays. At this point of time when we are taking about Startup and Make in India, Digital India these sort of technical problems should be avoided even when it will affect the entire Corporate World.
We have to suffer every year at the time of Annual Filing when the filing loads increases on the portal it crashes. It is new thing or unexpected thing? When everyone knows that at that period the load on the portal will increase, proper arrangements should be done in advance but stakeholders have to co-operate with the system congestion problem. Professionals have to work on odd hours to co-operate with it.
This is a request on behalf of entire corporate world and on behalf of all the stakeholders of the MCA portal to :
1. Not change the service provider agency at a regular interval of time;
2. Please consider the system load at its peak and make suitable arrangement to deal with it;
3. All changes should be first examined and then applied on the main portal of the MCA;
4. Required system maintenance work should be completed with the closure of MCA portal. But when it is on working phase, it should work properly;
5. MCA portal should be user-friendly and operation should not be changed as each and every stakeholder is not so computer savvy and tech guy. This portal is being handled by the senior citizens and new professionals as well. Even the number of seniors and new user are much larger than the medium term users who may rapidly adhere the changes in the operations.
This is to request, to please intervene and this universal problem of the stakeholders should be properly addressed and proper system and arrangement should be made so that these situation may be avoided in the future and MCA work should not be a burden on the Corporate and professionals.
CAclubindia
