Controversy surrounding the installation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled cameras across Kerala, as part of the Safe Kerala project under the Motor Vehicles Department, has taken a new turn with the Opposition parties in the state alleging that one of the companies involved in the execution of the project has links to a relative of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The allegation was first raised by Bharatiya Janata Party’s state vice-president Sobha Surendran, who said that Prakash Babu, the father-in-law of Pinarayi Vijayan’s son, was the person behind the company (Presadio Technologies Pvt Ltd), one of the two firms in a consortium, which bagged the subcontract from SRIT India Private Limited. SRIT had originally won the contract from Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron), a state government enterprise. Opposition leader VD Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala too have raised similar allegations.
“The director of the company which won the contract, is a benami of Prakash Babu, who is the father-in-law of Pinarayi Vijayan’s son. The Chief Minister should come out and reveal what were the criteria used to award the contract to a person who is related to him,” Sobha said, in a press conference on Wednesday, May 3. The BJP leader also demanded that a central agency look into the matter.
However, the only document that has surfaced as of now, which shows any kind of link between Presadio Technologies and Prakash Babu is a financial statement containing trade payables of the company. In this statement, which includes a list of names to whom the company has to pay money, it shows that Presodia Technologies has to pay Prakash Babu a sum of Rs 1.75 lakh.
It is to be noted that the state Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) had entrusted Keltron with the project of setting up AI cameras across the state. However, Keltron which won the contract for Rs 235.82 crore, outsourced the supply, installation and commissioning of requisite hardwares and software to a Bengaluru-based company called SRIT. The contract value for this was Rs 151.22 crore.
Following this, SRIT signed a Joint Project Execution agreement with a consortium of two other companies - Light Master Lighting India Pvt Ltd and Presadio Technologies Pvt Ltd, which as per reports does not have any expertise in the field.
In order to acquire technical support, Presadio Technologies brought in two companies called Trois Infotech and Mediatronix into the project.
Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan on Wednesday said that the whole AI camera project is a “massive scam” and questioned whether the LDF government had the “spine” to conduct an honest probe into the issue.
Satheesan said that there is a major conspiracy behind giving a contract of Rs 235 crore for the project when it could have been completed at a much lesser budget. He also alleged that SRIT violated the terms of tender by subcontracting the project to Presadio and Light Master Lighting Pvt Ltd.
“Now, it has come to light that the CM’s relative is also involved in the scam. We are giving him one more opportunity to respond to the allegations,” said Satheesan.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, on the other hand demanded that the deal handed over to companies which have no previous expertise in this area be cancelled. He also demanded a judicial probe into the matter.
On Wednesday, angry youth workers of the Indian Union Muslim League staged a protest before the office of Presadio Technologies at Kozhikode, the company alleged to have links with Prakash Babu and has won a few contracts, including one related to the AI camera deal.
The Congress-led UDF has now announced that on May 20, the day the Vijayan government celebrates its second anniversary of it coming to power for a second straight term, they will stage demonstrations across the state against "the most corrupt state government" Kerala has ever had.