Safe Kerala initiative: Plea in Kerala HC seeks release of pending payments

Kochi: SRIT India Ltd, a Bengaluru-based technology infrastructure company, has filed a petition before high court seeking a direction to the state govt to release pending payments related to the implementation and continued operation of the state-wide AI-enabled automated traffic enforcement and road safety project under the Safe Kerala initiative.The bench of Justice A A Ziyad Rahman sought instructions from the govt on the petition and adjourned the matter to June 4 for further hearing. The company alleged in its petition that a sum of Rs 36.95 crore remains outstanding towards quarterly payments due to it, apart from payments that were released only after prolonged and arbitrary delays. It further claimed that, having been selected through a transparent tender process conducted by KELTRON, which acted as the project management consultant (PMC), it had invested substantial financial resources and successfully implemented the project across the state. According to the petition, this included the installation and operationalisation of AI-enabled enforcement systems at 726 locations, the establishment of 14 district control rooms and a central control room, as well as supporting IT infrastructure, mobile enforcement systems and allied facilities.However, despite the successful implementation and continued operation of the project, substantial quarterly payments have allegedly been withheld, prompting the company to approach the court. The company further contended that the continued withholding of admitted dues would cause it irreparable loss, injury, hardship and damage. It also submitted that the continued operation of the public safety project could be jeopardised if the payments were not released.