MLA VD Satheesan Moves Kerala High Court Seeking Court Monitored Probe Into K-FON Project Alleging Favouritism & Corruption

Leader of the Opposition of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and MLA V D Satheeshan has moved the Kerala High Court seeking a probe by a Central Investigating Agency (CBI) into the conception and execution of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network Project Ltd. (K-FON).K-FON Project was the infrastructural project of the state government for removing the digital divide by providing universal basic internet facilities to all citizens. This was done by using a new optic fibre pathway created parallel to the state power network. The matter will be placed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A J Desai and Justice V G Arun on Monday. The plea alleges that the State Government has turned a blind eye towards the illegalities, irregularities, and corruption committed by the K-FON Project. The plea stated that the K-FON project consists of various contracts and tenders under it which were all given to one single beneficiary company closely connected with politically powerful persons. It is submitted that the said company has illegally re-routed its works and financial benefits to another company with the same persons. The plea avers that Sobha Renaissance Information Technology Private Pvt. Ltd. (SRIT) was chosen as the successful bidder for the project. There is also a similar plea by the petitioner pending before the Court wherein SRIT was the successful bidder in the project for Automated Traffic Enforcement System for Safe Kerala. That plea was also filed seeking a probe by the CBI alleging illegalities and corruption attached to the installation of AI Cameras that have resulted in nepotism, favouritism and corruption including violation of the privacy of persons. “It is clear that from the manner in which SRIT has been scooping up projects in the IT sector in the state that it has great pull within the state establishment, which ensures that projects fall into its lap, notwithstanding law or procedure…..when the lead Consortium Partner and system integrator BEL expressing its total loss of faith in SRIT, it is clear that a project which would have been a milestone for the digital accessibility in the State has been handed over to incompetent persons, who have ruined it for making profit at the expense of the common man”, the plea stated. The plea alleged that the works undertaken by SRIT were of poor quality by referring to a report submitted by the CAG titled, 'Poor performance of SRIT causing delay of K-FON Project'. The plea avers that SRIT subcontracts their works and acts as a middleman who charges a commission for sub-contracting the work to other third parties. The plea averred that the vigilance machinery in the State has not taken cognizance of the matter. It also stated that the petitioner did not believe Lok Ayukta was capable of performing such an investigation. Thus, he submits that the only investigating agency now left is the CBI which can investigate the matter under the monitoring of the Court. “As such, in spite of the records evidencing naked corruption, favoritism and other acts which had resulted in losing crores of rupees to the public exchequer, nothing has been done so far by the investigating agencies in the State”, the plea stated. The plea thus seeks a court-monitored CBI enquiry into the K-FON projects and also seeks for cancellation of all the government orders sanctioning the contract and other consequential orders. The plea has been moved by Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, Advocates Nisha George, A L Navneeth Krishnan, J Vishnu, Kavya Varma M M, Anshin K K and Sidharth R WariyarCase number: WPC No. 1479/2024Case Title: V D Satheesan M L A v State of Kerala & Ors

MLA VD Satheesan Moves Kerala High Court Seeking Court Monitored Probe Into K-FON Project Alleging Favouritism & Corruption

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