Kozhikode: More evidence that the companies which benefited from the AI camera-based surveillance of road traffic in Kerala have had durable relationships among them have come to the fore. Presadio and Trois Infotech, which were the main beneficiaries of the project, had begun their business operations from the same place in the same year.
Even though Trois is based in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, at present, it began its operations from Puthiyathara in Kozhikode where Presadio was also launched. Trois has given, as its own, the phone number and postal address of an establishment of Puthiyathara in the documents submitted to the Registrar of Companies. Procedures, including the audit of the company, are being conducted in Kozhikode.
The companies that were involved in the project as subcontractors, equipment vendors, and competitors in the tendering process of the camera project were SRIT, Ashoka Buildcon, Presadio, Trois, Mediatronix, Al Hind, Lyte Masters, and eCentric Solutions. Al Hind and Lyte Masters withdrew from the project at the beginning.
SRIT and Ashoka Buildcon, both of which took part in the tender, have been business partners even before the camera project. Ashoka was given the subcontract in the Kerala Fiber Optic Network (K-FON) project by SRIT. In turn, Ashoka parcelled out a part of the work to Presadio.
In order to help win the road camera contract by SRIT, the two companies, Trois and Mediatronix, had given an undertaking to the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) stating that they would provide technical expertise to SRIT for the implementation of the project.
SRIT, which won the contract on the basis of this assurance by the two companies, bought equipment worth Rs 30 crore from Mediatronix.
The artificial intelligence (AI) software for the project was bought from Trois. Even before the purchase order for this was issued, Trois managing director T Jithesh had signed as a witness for SRIT in the contract reached between Keltron and SRIT. Jithesh was functioning as the director of SRIT and Trois simultaneously.
Presadio began its operations from Puthiyathara in Kozhikode in January 2018. Trois was also launched in September of the same year under a Puthiyathara address. There have been business deals between the two companies from the beginning. It is this relationship that brought them together in the camera project too.
It was on October 23, 2020, that SRIT handed over the work agreement to Al Hind. The very next day, Trois managing director Jithesh approached Al Hind.
The director of Presadio insisted that the AI software for the project should be bought only from Trois. At this, Al Hind withdrew from the venture. Presadio brought the same pressure to bear on Lyte Master that came in palce of Al Hind. It has become clear by now that it was Presadio that was coordinating the camera project from the very beginning. It has also been revealed that Trois was working in tandem with Presadio all these while.
Jithesh is director of two companies even now. Jithesh had informed in an official release that he had vacated his post as director of SRIT. But from the website of the company, it is clear that he is still continuing as its executive director.
The AI camera-based road surveillance project is mired in a graft controversy. The project cost which was initially pegged at Rs 151.22 crore, rose to Rs 232 crore later as the work was sub-contracted to multiple private firms by the pimary bid winner, the Keltron. The opposition has alleged corruption and cited inflated costs as basis of its claims.
