In July, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the agency had overseen irregularities worth ₹100 crore, starting with a controversial ₹240-crore tender called by ANERT’s CEO, who was authorised to sanction tenders only up to ₹5 crore.
Published Aug 27, 2025 | 4:06 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2025 | 4:06 PM
Narendra Nath Veluri IFS
Synopsis: The Kerala government on 25 August appointed IAS officer Harshil R Meena as CEO of ANERT, replacing IFS officer Narendranath Veluri. The change follows opposition charges of corruption worth hundreds of crores in ANERT’s solar projects under Veluri’s tenure. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a vigilance probe and Assembly inquiry, alleging political protection.
What looked like a routine reshuffle of IAS officers by the Kerala government on 25 August has set off political ripples.
Among the 12 transfers ordered by the General Administration Department was a key change: 2021-batch IAS officer Harshil R Meena, Director of Environment and Climate Change, was given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer of the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT).
The appointment is significant as it comes in the wake of corruption allegations running into crores against outgoing CEO Narendranath Veluri, an IFS officer.
It was Congress Working Committee member and former Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala who first accused ANERT of large-scale corruption in the implementation of the central government’s PM-Kusum Solar Project in Kerala.
ANERT, under the Power Department, is tasked with gathering and sharing knowledge on renewable energy, energy conservation, and rural technology. It is also responsible for carrying out renewable energy programmes, including solar energy initiatives and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to promote sustainable energy solutions in the state.
The opposition is now demanding a full-fledged probe, not just a bureaucratic reshuffle.
In July, Chennithala alleged that the agency had overseen irregularities worth ₹100 crore, starting with a controversial ₹240-crore tender called by ANERT’s CEO, who was authorised to sanction tenders only up to ₹5 crore.
He flagged glaring anomalies, including the withdrawal of the lowest bidder Aditi Solar without forfeiture of its security deposit, manipulation of e-tender figures by temporary employees to favour Tata Solar, and contracts awarded to ungraded firms at inflated rates.
According to him, these actions not only violated central guidelines but also caused a massive loss to the exchequer.
On 15 July, he escalated the issue by posing nine pointed questions to Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, demanding public answers instead of closed-door assurances.
His questions ranged from whether the CEO had departmental sanction to float the tender, why the first tender was cancelled, and how contracts were issued in violation of grading conditions, to the misuse of central subsidy, inflated contract amounts, and the controversial reappointment of a former tender-handling employee.
Chennithala also challenged the minister to order a forensic audit of ANERT’s transactions over the past five years if he had “nothing to hide.”
With the government remaining largely evasive, Chennithala on 17 August took the matter further by filing a formal complaint with the Vigilance Director, naming the ANERT CEO as the first accused and pressing for a detailed probe under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
Backed by what he described as “complete evidence,” the complaint sought to uncover the extent of the financial loss, identify other officials involved, and examine violations of tender norms from the beginning of the scheme’s implementation.
He also urged the Assembly to appoint a legislative committee to investigate the matter, insisting that public money had been siphoned off through deliberate fraud.
Veluri, who took charge as CEO in July 2021 and served till 25 August 2025, was promoted to Conservator of Forests Grade earlier this year despite facing disciplinary proceedings dating back to 2022.
The file recommending action against him, linked to irregularities during his tenure in the Forest Department, has been circulated 188 times in three years without resolution – a bureaucratic record of sorts.
Chennithala pointed out that despite repeated scrutiny by senior officials, including then Forest and Energy Secretary Jyothilal and Forest Minister A K Saseendran, no decision was taken.
Instead, Veluri was entrusted with leading key projects such as ANERT and Hydel Tourism, raising suspicions of political patronage.
Chennithala accused Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty of shielding Veluri, calling him a “confidant” of the minister, and questioned how the disciplinary file remained stuck in the General Administration Department headed by a relative of the minister.
The government even refused to disclose details of the file under the Right to Information Act, citing “privacy concerns,” he alleged.
“Merely removing an officer does not erase corruption worth hundreds of crores. The government must stop shielding the guilty, act on the long-pending file, and face a thorough vigilance and Assembly committee probe,” Chennithala demanded, insisting that accountability must reach the highest levels of the administration.
He further reiterated that the government should initiate a detailed vigilance probe into the alleged irregularities and bring all those involved to justice, including ministers who protected the officer for years.
In April, the state government ordered a probe into allegations of corruption in renewable energy schemes implemented by ANERT for Attappady’s tribal communities.
The inquiry, led by a three-member panel, was headed by a joint secretary in the Power Department, along with the Energy Management Centre director and a deputy chief engineer from the Renewable Energy and Energy Savings (REES) division of the Kerala State Electricity Board.
Ironically, the investigating officers are junior to those accused: ANERT CEO Narendranath Veluri and Additional Chief Secretary KR Jyothilal.
The panel was asked to submit its report within two weeks.
The allegations centre on a ₹6.35-crore solar-wind hybrid project implemented for the remote hamlets of Lower Thudikki, Upper Thudikki, Galasi, and Ooradam in Attappady tribal taluk.
The Comptroller and Auditor General is said to have flagged irregularities in the tendering process, pointing to violations in the award of the contract to WindStream Energy Technologies, a Telangana-based company.
Most installations carried out under the scheme are reportedly non-functional.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, the inquiry findings remain undisclosed.
With the new CEO in place, the question remains: will this administrative shuffle be a genuine course correction, or just a cosmetic move to placate public outrage?
Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty has remained silent on the developments, while ANERT continues to defend its handling of the PM-KUSUM scheme, insisting all actions follow central guidelines. In the case of Veluri, no new appointment has been given.
Yet with multi-crore corruption allegations, stalled disciplinary files, and accusations of political shielding, it remains to be seen whether these claims have any merit or will fade quietly into bureaucratic oblivion.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
