KCR Postpones Appearance Before Kaleshwaram Project Probe Panel To June 11

NDTV

4 days ago

Hyderabad:
Telangana's former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will not be appearing before the Justice PC Ghose Commission on June 5. The BRS leader has reportedly sought more time and is expected to appear before the probe panel on June 11.
Two other politicians summoned by the Commission, BJP MP and former BRS minister Etala Rajender, and Mr Rao's nephew and former minister Harish Rao, have been asked to appear on June 6 and June 9.
Harish Rao, who was to give a power-point presentation at Telangana Bhavan on Kaleshwaram on Monday afternoon, had postponed it.
It is not yet known whether KCR's daughter, K Kavitha, will also postpone the protest planned by Telangana Jagruti on June 4 against the summoning of a "leader of KCR's stature". She has criticised the BRS party for not showing public support calling out the attempt to question the party president.
The Justice PC Ghose Commission was set up in March 2024 to probe the alleged irregularities in planning, design, construction, quality control, operation and maintenance of the three barrages of the Kaleshwaram project -- Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla. The one-man commission was formed after some piers in the Medigadda Barrage caved in on October 21, 2023.
The Commission, which has so far got eight extensions, is expected to submit its report on July 31. So far, it has questioned more than 100 engineers and officials.
The Telangana Vigilance Commission, meanwhile, has reportedly submitted a report recommending criminal proceedings against 17 senior engineers and officials and the construction agency responsible for the Medigadda Barrage, that is part of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation project.
The report says serious lapses have been found in execution of the project, resulting in the sinking of Block number 7 of the barrage and a substantial loss of public funds.
The Commission has also advised major disciplinary proceedings against 33 officials - current and former - and disciplinary proceedings against two Finance Department officials -- the District Works Accounts and Divisional Accounts Officer -- citing their involvement in financial approvals related to the barrage.
The Commission has also instructed that recovery proceedings be initiated to reclaim the cost incurred for the replacement of the damaged block, and action be taken against the contractor.