
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s website is not just one of the most visited sarkari websites but also one of the most interactive among government portals. While each department, Commerce as well as Industrial Policy (DIPP), has its own bulletin board to respond to any queries from investors or lawyers, real-time online chat facilities are also available every day on specific topics such as regional trade agreements and Special Economic Zones (understandably the most visited feature on the website in recent months). But the last couple of weeks, there has been a peculiar problem. First, the Commerce Department bulletin board got flooded with so many solicitations for cheap viagra and its substitutes that genuine users got irritated and their queries were buried under spam. When this was pointed out the concerned NIC officials, they said a redesigned website would be up in a week and that this was only a temporary blip. But within hours, they took the link to the bulletin board off. Over two weeks later, there is still no sign of the new website nor has the bulletin board been revived. As we write this, the same viagra spam has started hitting the DIPP bulletin board. The popular SEZ chat service between 5 and 6 pm every working day is also in neglect — at least for two days this week, queries from confused investors went unanswered.