Thiruvananthapuram, 26 Oct (H.S.): The Keralam government has initiated steps to purchase 480 Apple iPads at an estimated cost of ₹6.7 crore, even as the Finance Department continues to reiterate the need for expenditure restraint amid the state’s financial difficulties.

Public sector undertaking Keltron invited e-tenders for the procurement on October 16. Sources close to the government said the devices were intended for the Chief Minister, ministers and their personal staff. However, the tender documents do not explicitly identify the proposed recipients.

The purchase proposal comes against the backdrop of the UDF government’s repeated assertions that it inherited a severe financial crisis from the previous LDF administration. Soon after assuming office, the government issued a white paper outlining the financial situation it had inherited.

According to the tender specifications, the procurement comprises three categories of iPads, with 160 units sought in each category. These include 13-inch iPad Pro models with 256GB storage, 11-inch iPad Pro models with 256GB storage, and 11-inch iPad A16 models with Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity and 256GB storage.

Approximately ₹3.19 crore has been earmarked for the 13-inch iPad Pro devices, with the estimated cost of each unit placed at around ₹1.99 lakh.

Another ₹2.23 crore has been allocated for the 11-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi models, priced at approximately ₹1.39 lakh each. The remaining ₹1.27 crore is intended for the 11-inch iPad A16 Wi-Fi and cellular models.

The tender follows a September government decision raising the expenditure ceiling for purchasing information technology equipment for official use from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh.

The revised ceiling covers laptops, iPads and tablets purchased for ministers, private secretaries and department heads.

The proposed procurement places the administration’s spending priorities under scrutiny, particularly as departments are being urged to control expenditure. The tender documents, however, leave the allocation of the devices among intended beneficiaries unspecified.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman