The Kerala High Court has stayed the payment of any annuity amount for the installation and operation of the Artificial Intelligence camera units on different roads of the State as part of the Safe Kerala project.
No payments shall be made without informing the court or obtaining the prior approval of the court, directed a Division Bench of the court headed by Chief Justice S. V. Bhatti on Tuesday. The court issued notices to the respondents in the case before admitting the petitions moved by Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and former Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Notices will be issued to the State government, the State Transport Department and Keltron among others.
Also read: Teething troubles mark first week of AI-camera operations
The court also directed the petitioners to file affidavits on the high standards of transparency and probity they wish to see in public life and the implementation of the project.
The petitioners contended that the project amount of ₹232 crore was a highly inflated one. It’s still unknown how the authorities arrived at the figure, quoted for the project. The mode of implementation of the project was changed and there was no satisfactory explanation for the changes, they argued.
The Bench, which also had Justice Basant Balaji on board, said it shall examine the matter in detail and ascertain whether the change of mode of implementation of the project resulted in excess payment from the exchequer.
The court will consider the case after three weeks.
