With only 184 days left to rectify the problem, Satyanarayana said the problem, however, would not have a "disastrous effect" in Andhra Pradesh. But he cautioned against complacency. State agencies like the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, the electricity board, and the treasury, are not fully compliant, Satyanarayana said.

Andhra Pradesh Technology Services--the nodal ageency for computerisation in AP--managing director Suresh Chanda said the scenario was not grim in the state because the systems were relatively new. He said although India had a vast pool of talent in fixing the problem, the country would face difficulty at the dawn of the millennium, as we were latein waking up and realising the magnitude of the problem.

The state government proposal on new projects like the Wide Area Network (WAN) would be free from the Y2K hazard.

Criticising the general approach to solving the problem, he lamented that there was no definite, formal plan of action to tackle it at the government level.

He called for setting up a Y2K cell to make available all information regarding the problem. He also called for a mechanism to identify an agency to validate the solutions being offered to fix the bug.