Congress asks Kerala Govt, why pay ₹66 lakh to KPMG to design website?

The Congress party on Friday asked the Kerala government to explain why service firm KPMG is being paid ₹66 lakh to design a website of a state government organisation.

The Congress had already expressed its reservation over the selection of the international company as consultant partner for rebuilding the state in the wake of the worst flood disaster that it faced in nearly a century.

"Now with the government order of giving the job of web designing of Roots-Norka to KPMG for a whopping ₹66 lakh, the state government should explain the relation between the government and the firm," Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said.

He also reminded them that the government had earlier said that the KPMG was doing the rebuilding of Kerala for free.

"What's more important is that the contract to redesign the website was given to KPMG, on August 17—the day when the state was passing through its worst ever floods," the senior Congress leader said.

"It should be noted that the job of redesigning a website was given to KPMG, when there are several state government agencies who are experts in this job. The state government owes an explanation on why this happened and should come clean on if there are any more contracts that has been awarded on the sly," added Chennithala.

Chennithala earlier in September had written to State Industries Minister EP Jayarajan, who is spearheading the rebuilding operations, to first verify the numerous complaints that have surfaced against KPMG, even if their offer is free.

Chennithala said the government should instead accept the offer of the Netherlands government to help rebuild the state.

Jayarajan then had said that there was nothing binding on the state government with the KPMG and there was nothing wrong in getting a report from them for free.