Congress MLA and opposition leader of the State Legislative Assembly, VD Satheesan, has moved the Kerala High Court with a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the State government's Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project. [VD Satheesan MLA v. The State of Kerala & Ors.]K-FON is a public funded initiative of the Pinarayi Vijayan headed left government. Launched in 2021, it aims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to all citizens throughout the State. This would be done through a new optic fibre pathway created in parallel to the electric power network of the Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd. (KSEB).In his PIL, Satheesan alleged that the project and all contracts arising from it were divided among proxies of the people controlling the government.
According to the MLA, all the tenders involved in the project have been awarded to a single beneficiary company which is closely connected with persons in power. It is further alleged that the said company has allegedly re-routed the work and financial benefits involved to another company which is associated with the same person in power.
"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 PIL said.
It also stated that the pattern of corruption is similar to that involved in the State government's Safe Kerala project involving the installation of AI (artificial intelligence) traffic cameras. Satheesan had moved a different PIL in this regard last year.On these, among other grounds, Satheesan has sought orders from the Court to the CBI to initiate an enquiry into the K-FON project.He has also sought an order for quashing the Government Order issued by the Electronics and IT department of the State which sanctioned the selection of the implementation agency of K-Fon, M/s Bel Consortium.
TAGS: Congress MLA VD Satheesan Kerala High Court public interest litigation (PIL) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
