Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode: The contract and sub-contract for the ambitious project on AI camera-based surveillance of roads in Kerala have given rise to doubts over alleged inflated costs and political cronyism. Now, the Kozhikode-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Limited has refuted claims that it has no links to a firm named SRIT which was engaged by the Keltron to install the AI cameras on roads to record violations of traffic rules.
As is well-known by now, Kerala government undertaking Keltron was awarded the contract for the Safe Kerala project for AI camera surveillance on behalf of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD). But SRIT, which is based in Bengaluru, gave a sub-contract to another firm named Presidio Technologies Pvt Ltd, which was set up only in 2018. The Kozhikode-based firm had only two years working experience when it became part of the consortium.
It is alleged that the politically connected Uralungal Society has ties with Presidio. As per the registration details with the Union Ministry of Company Affairs, the ULCCS-SRIT Private Limited was formed in 2016 March. Its office is near Madappalli College, Vadakara. The annual general body of the company was convened last September, and the company is still active, documents show.
Though Uralungal claims that the joint venture was dissolved in 2018, it is seen that the company has functioned even after 2018. The audit reports for 2020-21 and 21-22 have also been prepared.
Clarification by Uralungal Society
In 2016, SRIT gave the hospital software development project to Uralungal. To undertake the project, the two firms jointly floated ULCCS-SRIT Private Limited. The directors of the two firms were members of this entity. However, with the collaborative project concluding in 2018, the joint venture was dissolved. The ULCCS-SRIT venture currently doesn’t exist. Details regarding the venture are available from certain websites on company affairs because the sites are not up to date.
No political interference: SRIT
There was no political interference in entering into a contract with Keltron for setting up AI cameras as part of the Safe Kerala Project, the Bangalore-based firm SRIT has said. Its CEO, Kannur native Madhu Nambiar, said in Bangalore that the company was awarded the project after participating in an international tender called by Keltron.
A total of four companies participated in the tender proceedings. The company took charge of the project for the lowest quote of Rs 128 crore. Also, the company purchased the cameras directly. Three expert companies were deployed to develop the software for deploying and functioning the cameras. These were only natural and the allegation that there was a sub-contract was not true, he added.
The other day Keltron Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) N Narayana Moorthy asserted that the AI camera project is transparent. He trashed the claims of Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala that large-scale corruption was involved in the Safe Kerala project.
"The Keltron which had taken up the project gave a contract to a company named SRIT in Bengaluru. That company further gave sub-contracts to two other companies. The project expense was first estimated to be Rs 151.22 crore. However, the sub-contract document of the SRIT with the other two companies mentions that the project can be implemented with Rs 75 crore and the remaining amount can be shared by them. Later, the project expense was declared to be Rs 232 crore; Rs 150 crore more has been shown as the project expense," Chennithala had alleged.
