AP govt to stop using Gmail, plans own official email

Though state govt officials have been given a dedicated e-mail facility, most use their personal Gmail IDs as official e-mail facility is slow and doesn't support big files

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The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to stop using Gmail for any official communication by the administration going forward. Instead, it plans to roll out a dedicated internet communication facility with foolproof security features extending to the entire government machinery right from the bottom.

"The government has decided not to use Gmail for official communication as there is a threat of security breach or hacking-related problems. It does not want any sensitive and confidential information or for that matter any official communication being accessed clandestinely by unknown elements," an official of the IT department told Business Standard.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu yesterday reviewed a host of IT initiatives, including the proposal to establish a dedicated email network for the government to be used at all levels.

The IT department is in the process of choosing one of the available software technologies for the new e-mail platform before handing over the project to a technology company for implementation. Using an open source software would cost as little as Rs 20 crore while usage of proprietary products of companies like Microsoft would cost as high as Rs 60 crore, according to the official.

Even in the past officials at the state secretariat level were given a dedicated e-mail facility as a part of the government portal ap.gov.in. Each official has two email IDs - one with designation and the other with personal name - for use depending on the nature of communication (formal or information).

"There are about 3,000 email IDs of this kind created for those who work in the state secretariat. However, many a time we use our personal Gmail IDs for sending out mails because the official e-mail facility is slow and it is difficult to send bigger files from that. Officers outside the secretariat and in the districts routinely use their personal mail IDs as they do not have access to any official email facility," the IT department official said.

The government is also planning to implement the concept of electronic file movement - here files need not be carried from one desk to the other - in the state secretariat and also across the districts. This also requires a secured e-mail window for the officers to communicate among themselves on any official business.

All the government functionaries right from the mandal (the lowest administrative unit) to the top level will need an email facility when the new system comes into existence, with the total number of e-mail IDs running into a few lakhs, according to the officials.