The Telangana government on Tuesday said the High Court verdict on the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) has not given a clean chit to anyone linked to alleged irregularities in the project. The case was filed by petitioners seeking to quash Government Order Ms. No.6, through which the state constituted the judicial commission headed by retired Justice P.C. Ghose. According to the government’s official response issued by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, the High Court found no fault with the formation of the commission and held that the inquiry panel was valid under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. It also observed that the appointment of the commission was neither arbitrary, illegal nor beyond the powers of the government.
Relief to Petitioners on Notice Issue
The court, however, raised objections to certain adverse findings made against individuals in the commission report, stating that notices had not been issued to them in the prescribed format under Section 8B of the Act. Based on this, the court said no action should be initiated against those individuals solely on the basis of the commission report.
The government said these remarks became inoperative only because of a procedural and technical defect in issuing notices, and not because the findings on the project itself were rejected.
CBI Probe Can Continue
The state said it had already approached the Government of India and written to the Central Bureau of Investigation seeking a probe into the alleged failures and irregularities in Kaleshwaram. It said the High Court judgment does not create any legal obstacle to that process.
Officials added that the government would study the full judgment copy and then decide the next course of action.
Collapse of Medigadda Barrage Cited
Referring to the Medigadda barrage incident, the government said the collapse of the seventh block on October 21, 2023, was a matter of public record and visible to anyone visiting the site. It noted that a structure built with thousands of crores collapsed within three years and that the project failed during the tenure of the previous BRS government itself.
The statement said it is the responsibility of the present government to identify the reasons for the failure and take action according to law.
Multiple Reports Flagged Defects
Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that several bodies had already flagged serious issues in the project:
• The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), under the central government, in its preliminary report reportedly identified flaws in site selection, design, construction and maintenance.
• The state Vigilance Commission also highlighted lapses in planning and execution.
• The Justice P.C. Ghose Commission examined engineers, IAS officers and administrative officials before submitting a detailed 640-page report.
The state said all three reports were placed before the Assembly in August last year.
Massive Financial Burden
Uttam further claimed that for the last two years, not a drop of water had been lifted from any of the three barrages under the project. At the same time, it said the state continues to bear annual debt servicing, interest and repayment costs ranging between ₹15,000 crore and ₹20,000 crore in the name of the project.
He also cited expert opinions from reputed national institutions, which reportedly said the issue was not limited to two pillars and that the entire foundation of all three barrages was questionable.
“Biggest Man-Made Disaster”
In its sharpest remark, Uttam described Kaleshwaram as a complete human failure and called it the biggest man-made disaster in the country. It said precious public money had been wasted and responsibility must be fixed for the losses caused.
The post Kaleshwaram Case Far From Over: High Court Validates Commission, CBI Probe Back in Focus appeared first on Telugu360.
Kaleshwaram Case Far From Over: High Court Validates Commission, CBI Probe Back in Focus
