Patna, April 18: The statistical directorate in Bihar has set up a “system development unit” for undertaking computerisation work of the directorate.

World Bank consultant N.K. Singh is heading the team, which consists of IT manager and two officials of the directorate, who recently underwent a computer-training programme that was conducted with support from the World Bank.

“We stand for complete computerisation of the directorate in 2011-12 as part of our effort to reduce the time lag in movement of data from one office to another and also to enhance our efficiency on report generation,” statistical director J.K. Sinha told The Telegraph.

The move assumes significance as the directorate has failed to keep it updated in accordance with the requirement of time.

This has resulted into non-tabulation of data and presenting analytical reports on a regular basis.

At present, there is a time lag of three to six years as far as different kinds of report generation by the directorate, which was set up in 1948-49 and is one of the oldest in the country, is concerned.

The “system development unit” has assessed the requirement of the computerisation drive and based on this the directorate has roped in the service of Beltron for doing the computerisation work.

A fund of Rs 1.75 crore has been earmarked for the project, which is likely to be completed by July this year.

Apart from computerisation at the directorate level, steps have also been taken to equip the field employees with necessary skills for handling computers so that they could submit reports to the state headquarters promptly.

Around 750 statistical supervisors, who are posted in field, would be trained under this programme.

Post-training these supervisors would be provided a laptop and a data card so that they could send the report from the field directly to the directorate.

“In the first batch, 50 of the statistical supervisors would be trained under this programme in which each batch would undergo a eight-week training,” Sinha said. Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development trainers both from the Centre and state would conduct the training.

A sum of Rs 40.20 lakh would be spent on one batch of training and it includes the cost of laptops which would be provided to the trainees.

“We would complete the training programmes of all the 750 supervisors in the next three years,” Sinha said.