Latest news with #KUSUM
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Anert's note contains blatant lies: Chennithala
T'puram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the note released by Anert in response to his questions to the electricity minister regarding the multi-crore scam related to the PM KUSUM scheme, which provides free solar pumps to farmers in Kerala, contains blatant lies. "This explanation confirms all the corruption allegations I have raised. Anert's note, filled with falsehoods, is part of the electricity minister's attempt to evade answering the allegations," Chennithala said. He said the official has listed such blatant lies to cover up the corruption conducted on behalf of the electricity minister. "We all witnessed what happened to the former principal secretary to the chief minister, who justified a consultancy corruption deal I exposed during the previous govt's tenure. The same fate awaits this official," he added. "If attempts to protect this corrupt official continue, another major corruption involving him will soon be exposed. The govt has become one that charges commissions through consultancies," Chennithala said. When Anert called for a tender worth Rs 240cr, the CEO's authority was only Rs 5cr. Anert's claim that they did not call for a Rs 240-cr tender is a blatant lie. Kerala's e-tender portal clearly recorded the Rs 240-cr tender. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Similarly, the explanation given for amending the financial bid is strange. The most important aspect of a financial bid is the amount recorded. Amending a bid means changing the amount, he added. Another major falsehood is the claim that the CAG report approved this tender process. The CAG report examining the tender processing of this period has not yet been released, making this claim a blatant violation of service rules by the Anert official concerned, he said. The beneficiaries of the commission from the multi-crore transactions through Anert will soon be revealed. The electricity minister can no longer evade this issue. "I have all the evidence and documents of the corruption and irregularities. I challenge the minister for a detailed investigation. The minister should face the investigation with dignity instead of hiding behind officials. An investigation of Anert's transactions over the past five years should be conducted, and the legislative assembly committee should recommend an inquiry," demanded Ramesh Chennithala.
United News of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Kerala Power Department a syndicate of corruption: Ramesh Chennithala
Thiruvananthapuram, July 25 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the Kerala Power Department took a loan of Rs 175 crore from NABARD under the guise of a solar project to facilitate corruption, with the support of a secretive group within ANERT. In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, AICC Working Committee member Chennithala said the Power Department has become a 'syndicate of corruption' operating with borrowed funds. The former Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly also demanded a forensic audit and a Legislative Committee probe into a major corruption scandal worth over Rs 100 crore in ANERT, a public sector institution, related to the Central Government's PM-KUSUM scheme- intended to provide farmers with free solar-powered pumps. "Simultaneously, due to the failure to utilize funds allocated by the Centre under the KUSUM scheme, the government was forced to return unutilized amounts. Irregularities worth crores have also occurred in the Thiruvananthapuram Smart City project—not just in the KUSUM scheme," he pointed out. Chennithala alleged that the ANERT CEO, who is only authorized to issue tenders up to Rs 5 crore, issued a tender worth Rs 240 crore for the project. "Despite my repeated demands, the Power Minister has refused to clarify who approved this tender. It is impossible for such a large tender to proceed without the minister's knowledge. The circumstances behind this approval must be made public," he said. He also noted that the first tender—which had a lower quoted amount- was cancelled, and a second tender was floated. "The reason for cancelling the first tender needs to be disclosed," he demanded. "The second tender received quotes up to 145% higher than the base price fixed by the Centre. This must be explained. Contracts were awarded at amounts higher than several of the submitted bids," he added. Even after the tenders were opened, modifications were made—serious procedural violations, Chennithala alleged. "These actions were carried out by the CEO in collusion with a temporary employee close to him. It must be investigated on whose instructions this was done." He also pointed to irregularities in consultancy appointments. "The government has a clear protocol for appointing consultancy firms. But ANERT blatantly violated these rules. A temporary employee at ANERT was appointed—on special recommendation—in a consulting firm (EY), in a manner reminiscent of the Swapna Suresh model." "Based on the CEO's recommendation, this individual resigned from ANERT and was immediately reappointed as a consultant to ANERT by EY, as confirmed by an email from the firm. These are unheard-of and highly irregular practices." Chennithala claimed that a secret group consisting of temporary employees and EY consultants operated in coordination with the ANERT CEO, bypassing the institution's Finance Department. "Such massive irregularities would not have been possible without the full backing of the Power Minister." "The CEO acted far beyond his official jurisdiction. Sensitive matters like the opening of tenders were handled entirely by temporary staff and the consulting firm EY, sidelining the Finance Department. It is evident that these actions were taken with the intent to commit corruption," he said. "Yet, the Power Minister has not even had the decency to suspend the ANERT CEO or order a proper investigation. It is now clear beyond doubt that the Power Minister himself is involved in this corruption." "Since the department refuses to initiate an inquiry, I urge the Chief Minister to personally intervene and take strong action." "We have learned through media reports that the Finance Department conducted a 'lightning inspection' at ANERT. This is nothing but a mockery. Such token actions cannot cover up the serious irregularities committed." Chennithala demanded that all transactions carried out by ANERT over the past five years be subjected to a forensic audit by an independent agency. "The Legislative Committee must also be entrusted with an inquiry. Only then can the full extent of the corruption be revealed. Despite the government's financial constraints, the Power Department took a ₹175 crore loan from NABARD to facilitate this corruption," his letter said. "I hope you will act swiftly and take the necessary steps in this matter. The ANERT CEO should be suspended immediately, and all transactions must be reviewed and subjected to a forensic audit," he concluded. UNI DS RKM
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Uninterrupted power supply top priority: Energy Minister
Rajamahendravaram: The coalition government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is committed to providing uninterrupted and hassle-free power supply to people across all regions and sections of society, said State Energy Minister Gottipati Ravikumar. He reviewed the functioning of the power department with officials in Rajamahendravaram on Wednesday. During the meeting, the minister discussed several key issues and issued directions to the officials. He reviewed the progress of central schemes like PM Surya Ghar, PM-KUSUM, and RDSS works in the district. He instructed officials to create awareness about the Surya Ghar and KUSUM schemes among the public at the grassroots level and expedite the implementation process. He directed officials to ensure agricultural power connections are granted to all farmers who have applied. Speaking to the media after the review, Minister Ravikumar said the government is taking special measures to address power outages and low voltage issues on a large scale. He announced that new substations will be set up in critical areas, along with additional transformers and required power lines. He also directed the department to start preparations for the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu from now. The minister strongly criticised the previous YSRCP government, alleging that the energy sector was completely weakened during their five-year rule. He condemned the false narratives being spread by some individuals regarding the current status of the power sector and about smart meters. Since the formation of the new coalition government, over 75,000 agricultural connections have been issued so far, which reflects the government's sincerity towards farmers' welfare, he added. To overcome power-related issues, the minister said additional staff will be appointed wherever necessary. He assured that complaints from industrial and commercial sectors are being promptly investigated and resolved. Minister Ravikumar urged power department staff to bring operational and administrative challenges directly to his attention for immediate resolution. District collector P Prasanthi, MLAs Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, Battula Balaramakrishna, SE K Tilak Kumar, and other officials attended the meeting.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Set up 40,000 solar pump sets under KUSUM: Siddaramaiah
The Karnataka government has set a target of installing 40,000 solar pump sets under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Ujra Suraksha Evam Uttahn Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) for de-dieselisation of the farm sector and enhancing the income of farmers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reviewed the scheme on Tuesday and said the Centre and State would provide 30% and 50% subsidy, respectively, for the installation of solar pump sets. The beneficiaries have to spend 20% of the cost. He directed officials of the Energy Department to take initiatives for installing 40,000 pump sets this year. Additional applications An additional 27,000 farmers have submitted applications under the scheme, and the State government would spend ₹752 crore, the Chief Minister said. Out of the 4.5 lakh illegal IP sets, he said two lakh pump sets had been regularised, and officials had been told to explore ways to bring illegal pump sets under the KUSUM scheme. A sum of ₹12,785 crore had been set aside for IP sets and ₹11,720 crore had been released as of February 2025. A sum of ₹16,021 crore had been allocated for the same purpose, the Chief Minister said. Energy Minister K.J. George and senior officials attended the meeting. Earlier, the Chief Minister also chaired a board meeting of the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd..
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Decentralised solar plants of 1,190 MW capacity installed in Rajasthan in last one year
About 1,190 MW capacity decentralised solar plants were installed in the last one year in Rajasthan under the PM-KUSUM scheme , an official statement said. A total of 684 decentralised solar plants with a combined capacity of 1,305 MW have been set up in Rajasthan so far, of which 592 plants (1,190 MW) were installed in the past 12 months. Unlike conventional large-scale solar parks, KUSUM scheme promotes small-capacity, grid-connected plants installed by farmers themselves or in partnership with developers on barren land. The plants are set up within 5 km of a grid substation and offer electricity at a significantly lower rate , Rs 2.09-3 per unit compared to thermal power. As a result, the scheme is now being seen as a dual solution for clean energy and rural livelihood, with farmers turning into power producers while discoms benefit from low-cost, low-loss distribution, the statement said. The scheme's implementation, previously handled by the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation, has now been handed over to power discoms as per central guidelines. Officials said that procedural bottlenecks were addressed by setting up dedicated officers, issuing SOPs, and facilitating land and loan-related issues to speed up installations. Among the state's three discoms, Jodhpur leads with 997.5 MW, followed by Jaipur (169.22 MW) and Ajmer (137.33 MW). Nationally, Rajasthan ranks first in the KUSUM scheme's Component-A and third in Component-C, after Gujarat and Maharashtra. The state government has said it aims to provide daytime electricity for agriculture to all farmers by 2027, with around 1 lakh already benefiting from the scheme. Officials claim this could help reduce the state's discom losses, which are reportedly over Rs 90,000 crore, mainly due to high-cost thermal power purchases. PTI
