Published Feb 25, 2026 | 2:53 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 25, 2026 | 2:53 PM
UDF election campaign committee chairman Ramesh Chennithala said OSD at the CMO sought detailed information on government employees.
Synopsis: UDF election campaign committee chairman Ramesh Chennithala, on Wednesday, released what he described as documentary evidence at a press conference, claiming that the CMO had sought sensitive personal information of government employees as part of a proposed “Centralised Notification Hub” project.
The Opposition UDF has intensified its attack on the LDF government in Kerala, alleging large-scale misuse and potential leakage of employee data from the state’s SPARK database and other official platforms, and demanding accountability from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
UDF election campaign committee chairman Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday, 25 February, released what he described as documentary evidence at a press conference, claiming that the CMO had sought sensitive personal information of government employees as part of a proposed “Centralised Notification Hub” project.
Chennithala said a letter sent by the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Seeram Sambasiva Rao, to various departments — including SPARK — directed them to hand over detailed information on government employees.
The letter reportedly sent by Seeram Sambasiva Rao.
The letter stated that the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department was collecting data from all departments to create a “data lake” to facilitate unified government communications.
Chennithala alleged that the move amounted to a serious breach of privacy and hinted at a larger political conspiracy.
“The government and the Chief Minister have committed a grave mistake. If there is any morality left, the Chief Minister should resign,” he said.
He further claimed that a data trade similar to the controversial Sprinklr episode was underway, and that personal information of government employees was being leaked and potentially misused.
The letter, he said, sought personal details such as name, phone number, age, district, taluk, ward and local body details of individuals registered on the K-Smart application.
Departments were reportedly directed to share the information by 12 February 2026, by emailing it to the Assistant Mission Coordinator of the IT Mission.
The official explanation for the data collection, as cited in the letter, is to enable real-time notifications via SMS, email, WhatsApp and voice messages, and to send unified communications under the name “Government of Kerala.”
However, Chennithala questioned the necessity and legality of such extensive data collection.
“No one has the right to invade the privacy of any individual. Taking phone numbers and sending WhatsApp messages without consent is illegal,” he said, describing the exercise as shrouded in “great mystery.”
Echoing the concerns, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said personal information should not be shared or leaked without explicit consent, citing a High Court verdict on data protection.
He alleged that the CMO had leaked the data of government employees and teachers on a large scale and demanded a criminal case against those responsible.
“Leaking data is a crime. The data can be misused or even sold. Are there people in the Chief Minister’s Office who do not know that data is a valuable asset?” Satheesan asked.
He also referred to court observations in connection with the Sprinklr controversy and insisted that data security must be ensured.
Satheesan alleged that official systems were being misused for political purposes and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
The government has maintained that the initiative is part of an effort to streamline public communication and improve service delivery.
However, with the Opposition stepping up its campaign, the issue is poised to become a major political flashpoint in the run-up to the Assembly elections.
