THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will review cost and security issues involved in awarding the operation, maintenance and upgradation of the two State Data Centres to Sify Technologies. Apart from the security issues raised by the Opposition on engaging a private player in managing the SDCs, certain issues pertaining to cost also came up, according to top sources in the IT department. The Kerala State IT Mission had initiated the tender process for operation, maintenance and upgradation of SDC, which is the central data repository of all vital e-governance applications of the state government.
“Even as Sify quoted the lowest amount, the price quoted for certain components involved in the project were higher than estimates. Hence the matter is being reviewed. The Department Purchase Committee comprising top officials of IT and Finance departments will take a final call on the matter after further scrutiny. The security issues raised by leaders of Opposition will also be taken into consideration. However, chances for a re-tendering was very remote,” a top government official said.
According to sources, the rates quoted by Sify for components like enterprise security and enterprise management were higher than the estimates by the Centres for Development of Advanced Computing. It is suspected that there were certain technical glitches while preparing the estimates and hence it was being reworked. Earlier, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran had sent separate letters to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing concerns pm engaging a private firm by sidelining public sector undertaking Keltron. However, an official of Kerala State IT Mission had said that Keltron was disqualified as they lacked expertise in cloud implementation, which is also a component of the fresh contract.
Meanwhile, another tendering initiated by the IT mission for the maintenance and upgradation of Kerala State Wide Area Network also became controversial with United Telecom Limited challenging the move to award the work to RailTel Corporation. UTL alleged that RailTel was allowed to make technical changes in their quotation. Though the HC had ordered a stay on the matter, it was now vacated, IT sources said.
