AI camera: Kerala HC debars state govt from transferring funds for project; Deals need to be examined
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday barred the state government from transferring funds for the 'Safe Kerala' project citing that the agreements made in the AI camera need to be examined. The court was considering a plea filed by Opposition leader VD Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.
FollowKochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that it was necessary to look into every agreement the state government had made in order to carry out the "Safe Kerala" project, which calls for the installation of AI surveillance cameras. The court was considering a plea filed by Opposition leader VD Satheesan and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala who sought a court-monitored inquiry into the project.
"It is necessary to evaluate every agreement in the Safe Kerala project. We should determine whether the initiative has caused a deficit or surplus in the Treasury," the court ruled.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice SVN Bhatti and Justice Basant Balaji, also prohibited the transfer of funds for the project by the government without its consent.
The court has ordered the state government, Keltron, and a number of private businesses involved in the installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to explain their positions on the plea.
The petitioners claim that KELTRON, a State Government Company, was merely "one of the middlemen in the whole transaction which was a scam in the name of traffic safety," and that the Finance Department's concerns that KELTRON lacked the necessary expertise and resources and that its cost analysis and estimate were inadequate and unreliable were "swept under the carpet and administrative sanction was given to the project." Additionally, it has been claimed that SRIT, the project's winning bidder, did not meet any of the minimal eligibility requirements.
