Kasaragod | The Congress party on Tuesday continued its attack on the Left government in Kerala alleging irregularities over the Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras set up as part of the 'Safe Kerala' initiative and claimed the project which could have cost under Rs 100 crore was completed at Rs 232 crore.
Addressing the media here, senior Congress leader and former Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala claimed that one of the private companies which was held to be technically qualified in the tender process did not have the requisite experience.
"The Congress party has released various documents which can show the irregularities behind the installation of AI cameras as part of the Safe Kerala project," he added.
The Congress leader claimed it was clear that SRIT, the company which bagged the tender for the project also did not have requisite experience and that it had approached some five other inexperienced firms to complete the project.
"A project which could have been completed for Rs 100 crore was implemented at a cost of Rs 232 crore. Around Rs 132 crore was now given to some benami companies and what else can we call it, other than corruption," Chennithala alleged.
He claimed that irregularities had happened in the tender process.
The senior Congress leader alleged that even though some documents were uploaded on KELTRON's website, some important documents are yet to be made public.
Chennithala and other Congress leaders have been alleging irregularities in the tender process by the Left government to set up a fully automated traffic enforcement system.
The Kerala government had in 2020 entered into an agreement with the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KELTRON) for the project.
Chennithala has been alleging that KELTRON then awarded the contract for the project to Bengaluru-based SRIT India Pvt Ltd, but in violation of tender norms.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had in April inaugurated the 'Safe Kerala' project, envisaged to reduce road accidents and traffic violations in the state.
Chennithala has also alleged that the common man was being looted to fill the coffers of companies of friends and relatives of the ruling Left front.
Thiruvananthapuram | Amidst allegations of corruption against him and his government by the Congress and BJP, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hit back by accusing them of working against the interests of the southern state.
In the last few days, both the Congress and BJP have accused the Left government and the CM's office of corruption with regard to various projects, like the Life Mission housing scheme and AI cameras installation, and also about involvement in gold smuggling.
Lambasting their charges, Vijayan alleged that the BJP, RSS and Sangh Parivar were trying to create communal disharmony in the state as well as the country by carrying out attacks on minorities across the country.
He claimed that just like German dictator Adolf Hitler proclaimed Jews and Communists as enemies of the state, the RSS was treating the religious minorities and the Left in the same way.
His remarks regarding attacks on minorities comes in the wake of the BJP's outreach programme -- 'Sneha Yatra' -- towards Muslim and Christian communities in the southern state and the controversial 'The Kerala Story' film that allegedly claims 32,000 women from the state were converted to Islam, radicalised and joined the terror outfit Islamic State.
At the same time, the Congress has proven to be ineffective in countering the saffron party, the Chief Minister claimed.
Vijayan contended that the Centre has not delivered on its poll promise to create employment as it was not filling up lakhs of vacant posts in central PSUs or government departments which could have benefitted the youth. "Yet they wax eloquent about working for the interests of the youth," he said.
Kerala Public Service Commission has made more appointments than the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), he claimed while addressing a gathering at the inauguration of an area committee office building at Mangalapuram here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Kerala had attended a youth programme -- Yuvam Conclave 2023 -- where he said the LDF government has not addressed the issue of alleged large-scale unemployment among the youth in the state.
Vijayan, in his speech, also accused the BJP-ruled Centre of neglecting PSUs and trying to sell them off, whereas the Left government in Kerala was trying to take over PSUs to revive them and make them profitable. It also generates employment, he added.
Vijayan did not spare the Congress either. He said the Congress and its UDF alliance which has 18 MPs in Lok Sabha has not done anything for the interests of Kerala.
"Have they ever raised their voice in the interests of the state? They have only used the floor of Lok Sabha to oppose the initiatives and projects of the Kerala government," Vijayan alleged.
He contended that the stand taken by Congress on various issues was one of the reasons for the growth of the BJP. "In fact, many top Congress leaders and former ministers are now in the BJP," he contended.