Thiruvananthapuram: A project like AI surveillance cannot be put on hold merely on grounds of some allegations against it, Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju said on Thursday.
“The trial run of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras under the Left government's Safe Kerala project was completed more than eight months ago. But the Vigilance probe against a Transport Department official in connection with the cameras was initiated only last month,” the minister said while speaking to reporters here.
"So we cannot put the project on hold for the completion of the Vigilance probe or any other enquiry that has been initiated in connection with the cameras. No project has ever been stalled for such reasons," the minister added.
The minister also said that the State government was considering the prospect of allowing a family of three, including a child on a two-wheeler. The government will take up the issue with the Centre, he said.
State Industries Minister P Rajeeve on Wednesday announced that the government had initiated an enquiry into the allegations of corruption surrounding Keltron over the installation of 726 AI cameras in the state under the Safe Kerala project.
Rajeeve's announcement came in the wake of opposition Congress's allegations of irregularities and corruption in the procurement and installation of the cameras.
He had also said that there was already a Vigilance probe going on since March this year, in connection with complaints against the transport department regarding the AI camera procurement and installation.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly V D Satheesan contended that the Vigilance probe was not on the AI camera issue, but against the allegedly corrupt activities of a transport department official.
Since Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Safe Kerala project last week, the Congress has been vocal about its opposition to the initiative and alleged that there were irregularities and corruption involved in awarding the contracts.
(With PTI inputs.)
