Assam’s digital desk crashes: Govt reverts to paper as RailTel servers stall

Government operations in Assam have come to a standstill due to a failure in its e-office servers, resulting in disrupted electronic official work across the state for the past few days. 

The collapse of the system, which is managed under RailTel, has caused significant delays in administrative functions, primarily regarding e-files at the digital desk. 

Speaking to India Today NE, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota confirmed that restoration efforts are underway and are expected to be completed by February 14. 

Stating that the server breakdown has not particularly impacted key operations of the Assam government, the Chief Secretary mentioned that the failure has primarily disrupted activities managed under the e-office and e-Cabinet systems.

He confirmed that office work has been obstructed to some extent, following which the administration is continuing urgent tasks in the "form of normal physical files" to ensure operations are delivered on time.

Dismissing speculations of a cyber attack or hacking incident targeting the Assam government, Kota said, "We don't know the technalities, only RailTel will be able to explain. We cannot interpret as we only use the applications." 

He further explained that the issue has affected systems nationwide that are operating under RailTel servers. The chief secretary emphasised that the problem is not exclusive to Assam but is a widespread issue affecting various regions across the country functioning under RailTel corporation.

It should also be noted that the results of the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) are expected to be announced in February. When questioned whether the server breakdown could affect the announcement or the authenticity of the anticipated results, Kota reassured that no such issue would arise and the results will not be impacted.

Kota further clarified that the disruption in servers has not impacted the movement and functioning of physical files, reiterating that the problem remains limited to the e-files and e-system.

Earlier, Assam Cabinet Minister Bimal Borah also affirmed that the disruption in servers has only posed an impact on the e-files, further confirming that the physical files are working smoothly. He said that the matter is likely to be resolved soon. 

The technical issues have impacted various government activities, primarily those carried out under the state’s administrative framework.