HC stays govt order barring PwC from IT dept projects for 2 years

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed for two weeks the order issued by the Kerala Government barring/blacklisting PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an international consultancy firm, from participating in projects promoted by the Electronics and IT Department for the next two years. The government had also decided to not extend a contract relating to the Kerala Fibre Optics Network (KFON) project.

Justice P V Asha issued the interim order on a petition filed by Rakesh Paul Punjabi, partner, PwC, challenging the government order. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the petitioner. The government landed in a soup following the recruitment of gold smuggling prime accused Swapna Suresh through PwC for the Space Park project.