Actually, your problem started when you didn't check your script with perl -c scriptname. Had you done so, you would have seen this:

>perl -c \816493.pl
Possible unintended interpolation of @data_date in string at 816493.pl
+ line 60.
Global symbol "@data_date" requires explicit package name at 816493.pl
+ line 56.
syntax error at 816493.pl line 60, near "if"
Global symbol "@data_date" requires explicit package name at 816493.pl
+ line 60.
Global symbol "@data" requires explicit package name at816493.pl line 
+65.
Global symbol "@data" requires explicit package name at 816493.pl line
+ 67.
Global symbol "@data_date" requires explicit package name at 816493.pl
+ line 67.
Global symbol "@recent" requires explicit package name at816493.pl lin
+e 68.
Global symbol "@data" requires explicit package name at 816493.pl line
+ 68.
syntax error at 816493.pl line 71, near "}"
816493.pl had compilation errors.
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IE, what you've posted won't compile. Suggest you strip this down to the bare essentials. Then, when you have a compilable version that illustrates your problem, you'll be ready to post that.