Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant climbdown, state govt on Friday deferred the proposed shutdown and upgrade of the e-Office system, hours after the election machinery flagged concerns and opposition leader alleged possible misuse during model code of conduct (MCC) period.Electronics and IT department, in a fresh circular, said the rollout of the latest version of e-Office — earlier scheduled between April 10 and April 15 — has been postponed until completion of election process, citing concerns raised by chief electoral officer (CEO).The earlier circular on March 31 proposed a five-day shutdown of e-Office platform, effectively halting digital file movement and allowing emergency govt orders to be issued manually.The development follows intervention by opposition leader V D Satheesan, who wrote to the CEO warning that the temporary shutdown and shift to manual processes could “reduce transparency and weaken the audit trail of official decisions,” raising the possibility of misuse during a sensitive election period.Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also alleged that the shutdown was “a conspiracy to bury corruption-related files” and warned of a possible “digital clean-up” under the guise of system maintenance. He said there was no urgency for the exercise and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
