Thrissur: While Kerala Government is reminding the public about its initiatives to curtail corruption, irregularities worth crores have been unearthed in connection with the purchase of equipment to conduct the digital survey in the state. The ambitious project came under a shadow of suspicion after the government failed to call tender legally and shortlisted two companies.

After viewing that newspaper advertisements for e-tender were inadequate, the government issued an order to relax norms in the Stores Purchase Manual, thereby enabling the direct purchase of equipment from the companies that participated in the tender procees. The decision to relax Stores Purchase Manual norms was taken during a meeting convened by Department Purchase Committee on 22 July 2022.

 Based on the order released on 27 September 2022, the government signed a contract to buy equipment from Hexagon Jio Systems India. It is also alleged that second company that participated in the tender is a shell firm of the company that secured the contract.

The order issued for Digital Survey: 18 August 2021

Tender Issued: 25 March 2022

Contract confirmed: 7th February 2023

Tender amount- Rs 369.95 crores

Tender fixed - Rs 343.65 crores

Equipment to be purchased as per the tender:

Robotic Total Station Machine: 700 

Real-Time Kinematic Raver Machine: 1000 

Tablet PC: 1700 

Equipment purchased by the contracting company

Robotic Total Station Machine: 200 

Tablet PC: 1200 

As per the contract, the cost of a robotic total station machine --700 machines-- is Rs 14,03,869.08. However, the company only bought 200 machines. As a result, the company made a profit of Rs 70 crores. 

Instead of purchasing 1700 Tablet PCs, the company only bought 1200 nos. The price of a tablet PC is Rs 3,29,375.36, and the company earned Rs 16 crores in profit by not buying 500 units.

Further, the contract does not specify what kind of equipment or the quality it should possess. Though free maintenance is assured for five years, Rs 54.13 crores (3 years) has to be paid for maintenance post this period.