State Transport Minister Antony Raju said the trial run of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras under the Left government’s Safe Kerala project was completed more than eight months ago and the Vigilance probe against a Transport Department official in connection with the cameras was initiated only last month.

“So we cannot put the project on hold for the completion of the Vigilance probe or any other enquiry that has been initiated in connection with the cameras. No project has ever been stalled for such reasons and none will be in future,” the minister said while speaking to reporters here.

State Industries Minister P Rajeev on Wednesday announced that the government had initiated an enquiry into the allegations of corruption surrounding Keltron over the installation of 726 AI cameras in the state under the Safe Kerala project.

Rajeev’s announcement came in the wake of opposition Congress’s allegations of irregularities and corruption in the procurement and installation of the cameras.

He had also said that there was already a Vigilance probe going on since March this year, in connection with complaints against the transport department regarding the AI camera procurement and installation.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly V D Satheesan contended that the Vigilance probe was not on the AI camera issue, but against the allegedly corrupt activities of a transport department official.

Since Vijayan inaugurated the Safe Kerala project last week, the Congress has been vocal about its opposition to the initiative and alleged that there were irregularities and corruption involved in awarding the contracts