Kerala Information Technology Secretary M Sivasankar has taken responsibility for signing a deal with US-based company Sprinklr, which is at the centre of a data breach controversy in the state, on behalf of the government.
“It was my call. I had examined all sides of the deal. There was a general decision that a technology platform was needed to handle the situation. It was my responsibility to choose the platform and take the project on board,” Sivasankar told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
He said legal department's permission was not needed for the purchase order. “Mine was a professional decision. I would rectify it if there was any mistake,” he said.
Sivasankar said the company had sent the purchase order and related documents on March 24 and data collection through Sprinklr's platform started on March 25. However, the government signed the documents and returned it only on April 2.
No clear answer
Sivasankar did not give a clear answer to the question of whether Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was aware of the details of the deal.
Sivasankar had appeared in a promotional advertisement of Sprinklr about the services it offers to Kerala. The advertisement has been removed from the company's website following the controversy.
The opposition Congress has been targetting the CPM-led government over the deal with Sprinklr saying the company was entrusted with the task of collecting people's health-related data in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala flagged the issue first saying the government has compromised the data of millions of people by facilitating opportunities for the US firm to use it. The company, owned by Keralite Ragi Thomas, is offering its services to the state for free, according to the government.
Senior Congress leaders Oommen Chandy, Mullappally Ramachandran and P T Thomas have joined Chennithala in scaling up the charges on a daily basis.
Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil said the outfit will launch a protest at 5000 spots in the state in compliance with lockdown restrictions.
