Naidu Urges Governor to Halt State Government's E-Office Upgrade Amid Election Concerns

The TDP national president, Mr. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, appealed to Governor Mr. Abdul Nazeer on Thursday to halt the State Government’s e-office upgrade process. In a letter to the Governor, also sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, and the Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD), Mr. Naidu expressed concerns about potential misuse of the upgrade.

Mr. Naidu highlighted that the State Government plans to upgrade the existing e-office version under the instructions of the Union Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Network Interface Controller (NIC), New Delhi. The upgrade will render the e-office services unavailable for the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the Chief Secretary’s office, various State Secretariat wings, and Heads of Departments (HoDs) from Friday until May 25.

He voiced apprehensions from officials and political parties that the timing of the upgrade might be used to delete important files and documents related to government decisions involving irregularities and resource diversions favoring certain contractors and YSRCP leaders. Mr. Naidu also noted the State Government's violation of regular practices by not uploading crucial Government Orders (GOs) on its website, thereby reducing transparency.

Mr. Naidu warned that the upgrade's timing, coinciding with the ongoing election process and the absence of many officers on poll duty, could lead to potential mischief. He suggested postponing the decision until a new government is in place.

In his letter, Mr. Naidu mentioned receiving information about the destruction or relocation of critical records and recalled previous incidents where records were burned without following proper procedures. He emphasized the need to secure all files, note files, records, and documents, and proposed the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent any unauthorized actions.

Referring to earlier letters by TDP politburo member Mr. Varla Ramaiah and representations made to the Governor, Mr. Naidu reiterated his call for immediate action from the Chief Secretary to safeguard the documents until a new government is formed.