The Central agency has reportedly alleged that contractors executing MAWS Department works paid 7.5 percent to 10 percent of the contract value to persons described as associates of Minister KN Nehru, collected as a “party fund.”
Published Dec 09, 2025 | 12:19 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 09, 2025 | 12:19 AM
Tamil Nadu Minister KN Nehru.
Synopsis: The ED has reportedly alleged extensive corruption in the Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department headed by Minister KN Nehru, according to local reports. The agency has written to the Chief Secretary, the DGP and the DVAC seeking action, prompting fresh political tensions in the State. Minister Nehru has denied the allegations and described them as part of a “slander campaign.”
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) flagging extensive corruption in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department headed by Minister KN Nehru, according to local media reports.
A purported letter dated 3 December is said to have been sent under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It seeks that the relevant authorities file FIRs and probe the allegations, and reportedly warns that failure to do so would amount to “knowingly assisting” those accused. The development has triggered fresh political tensions in the State.
In the letter, the Central agency has reportedly alleged that contractors executing MAWS Department works paid 7.5 percent to 10 percent of the contract value to persons described as associates of Minister KN Nehru, collected as a “party fund.”
These contractors were reportedly beneficiaries of tenders that were manipulated or pre-decided. It reportedly also cites multiple instances of “direct evidence” of bribes totalling around ₹1,020 crore, allegedly collected across a wide range of works including community toilets, outsourcing of sanitation workers, NABARD-funded projects, village roads, waterbody and lake works, and sweeper quarters.
Bribes were allegedly extracted not only during project approval but also during the passing of bills by government officers at various levels, resulting in an alleged “effective cut” of 20 to 25 percent of project values.
Minister Nehru strongly denied the allegations, calling them part of a “day-by-day complaints and moment-by-moment slander campaign” orchestrated by the AIADMK–BJP alliance, allegedly using the ED to cloak their political attacks.
He accused the opposition of being unable to tolerate the achievements of the Dravidian Model government and claimed that the ED had been “added to their ranks” to run a politically motivated narrative.
Nehru highlighted the department’s record over the past five years:
He added that flood mitigation efforts had yielded visible improvements compared with the previous AIADMK regime, citing reduced water stagnation in Chennai.
Nehru alleged that the opposition and the ED had intensified scrutiny because the department’s achievements had unsettled them.
He accused the Union BJP government of using central agencies for propaganda it “cannot do directly,” saying the ED had been reduced to an auxiliary wing of the party.
He also referred to a past case involving a 2013 loan taken by his brother, which was quashed by the High Court. The ED’s FIR in that matter was also set aside by a Division Bench. Despite this, he alleged, the Union government continues to pressure agencies to revive propaganda.
Reiterating that he would face all allegations legally, Nehru added, “Wherever one looks in my department, achievements stand out. But to an agency instigated by the Union government, these appear as baseless complaints.”
He said neither he nor the government would be intimidated by the ED or by what he described as the AIADMK–BJP alliance’s slander.
