Three months after the University of Kerala detected the fraudulent use of pay-in slips and suspended payment facility for various services through the FRIENDS Janasevana Kendram, the Electronics and Information Technology Department has found fault with the insecure payment system.
In a letter issued to the Registrar a few days ago, the department has stated that no lapses have occurred on the part of the FRIENDS outlets or its implementing agency, Kerala State IT Mission.
Massive loss
The unauthorised use of the slips (or challans) is suspected to have led to a massive revenue loss over several years. While the university had fixed the blame for the malpractice on loopholes in the payment system of the FRIENDS network, the claim has now been rebutted by the Electronics and IT Department. The department held the university responsible for failing to cross-check receipts issued by FRIENDS. The receipts were issued upon payments made using the login credentials provided by the university.
