Kerala government has decided to bar consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) from participating in state Electronics and IT department projects for two years citing the appointment of an employee without a proper background check to ensure integrity.
The decision came close on the heels of the row over gold smuggling case accused and former employee of the UAE consulate Swapna Suresh being posted in the Kerala government's Space Park project in which PwC was project management unit.
The government order barring PwC says that PwC did not perform a comprehensive background check including educational qualification of an individual appointed in the project management unit of Space Park, which was a serious breach of contractual obligation.
Hence PwC has been barred from participating in projects under the Electronics and IT department for two years. The contract with PwC appointing the agency as a project management unit for Kerala Fibre Optic Network project, which is ending on November 30, would not be extended further, said the order.
It was alleged that M Sivasankar, chief minister's principal secretary as well as Electronics and IT department secretary, facilitated the recruitment of Swapna Suresh even though she lacked even basic qualification.