Revised IT project tender to cost state Rs 700 crore more: Chennithala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday alleged that the state government’s revision of tender norms in a major IT project would cause losses to the tune of Rs 700 crore to the exchequer.

Referring to the project to implement a common software platform across the state’s 4,415 primary cooperative societies, Chennithala said the contract was initially awarded to TCS for Rs 206 crore following tender process in 2023-24.

The deal was later cancelled and a fresh, revised tender issued, he said at a press conference. “Changes in the tender norms appeared to be a deliberate attempt to keep major IT firms like TCS out of the process,” he alleged.