Safe Kerala Project: High Court Seeks State's Response To Contractor's Plea Alleging Non-Payment For AI Traffic Cameras

The Kerala High Court on Monday (June 15) sought the State's response in a plea alleging non-payment to the contractor that was engaged for installing and maintaining AI Traffic cameras as part of 'Automated Traffic Enforcement' for Safe Kerala Project.

When the matter came up today before Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A., the counsel appearing for the petitioner SRIT India Ltd. pointed out that there is non-payment of dues even though the Project has been implemented all over the State.

The Court then orally asked the State whether there was any dispute regarding the amounts due: "Non-payment alone? Whether payment is in dispute?"

The petitioner's counsel submitted that there is no dispute in payment and the State had even admitted to the amounts in a public interest litigation filed by the present Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

It was pointed out that the petitioner had expended Rs. 151 crores, including a Rs. 6 crores security deposit, as well as a monthly expenditure of Rs. 40 lakhs for maintaining the cameras.

Further, it was submitted that the PIL was disposed of by the Division Bench recently and while the same was pending, directions were issued to the State to pay the quarterly instalments due to the petitioner and the same was done by the State. It was contended that after the PIL was disposed of, the State did not continue the payment of the instalments due saying that there are no more directions to disburse the amounts.

He added that with the monsoon maintenance due, the petitioner has to expend more amounts:

"Now issue is that the monsoon is here, I'll have to do the monsoon maintenance and every month, I am expending 40 lakhs out of my pocket besides the 151 crores which I already expended. I can understand if there is any dispute. Absolutely nothing. The counter affidavits are there...Continuously, these amounts were being paid. This Court granted only permission to release. Now PIL is already disposed of in our favour, negativing all the contentions raised against the project."

"There is no dispute in the payment?," the Court then sought clarity and the petitioner's counsel submitted that there were no disputes.

It then gave time to the government pleader time till Friday (June 19) to take instructions as to why amounts are not being disbursed:

"Post on Friday, to enable the learned Government Pleader to get instructions as to why amounts are not being disbursed to the petitioner."

The petition is moved by Advocates Shyam Padman (Sr.), Sidharth G., C.M. Andrews, Laya Mary Joseph, Ashwathi Shyam, Swathy Sudhir, Shimleel Ibrahim T., and S. Anupama.

Case No: WP(C) 17963/ 2026

Case Title: SRIT India Ltd. v. State of Kerala and Ors.