THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala has demanded an independent agency to investigate the planned corruption of Rs 100 crore in the PM-KUSUM solar pump project. "The agreement was signed by keeping the finance department of ANERT and the finance department of the secretariat in the dark. It is unbelievable that the electricity minister is evading by saying that he did not know anything. Either he is protecting the CEO knowing all this. Or the minister's office is working by making the minister a puppet. The entire accounts of ANERT for the last five years should be subjected to forensic audit by an independent agency. A comprehensive report of the Legislative Assembly Committee should also be prepared. If ANERT is shaken up, a corruption worth Rs 1,000 crore will come to light," Chennithala said.
Corruption in recruitment too
The hiring of Vinay P, a temporary employee and former executive assistant to ANERT CEO Narendranath Veluri, by global consulting firm EY (Ernest & Young), is similar to the hiring of Swapna Suresh as a consultant in the Spacepark project earlier. EY, which has a consultancy contract worth crores with ANERT, appointed the executive assistant of ANERT's CEO on a huge salary and sent him back to ANERT on deputation the next day. Vinay is the person who reviewed the documents for appointing EY as ANERT's consultant and helped the CEO make the final decision.
Vinay, who was relieved of his duties from ANERT on April 4, 2025, joined EY as an officer the next day. He rejoined ANERT on the same day to help in the tendering process. That too at a very high salary. Tender processing for spending crores of funds is being carried out by temporary workers or private companies like EY, excluding ANERT employees.
There have also been shocking irregularities in solar installations as part of the Thiruvananthapuram Smart City project, which is being implemented with 100 percent central funds. Chennithala added that each of the 514 solar projects in the last two years as part of the Smart City project is an example of ANERT's misappropriation of funds.