Ghose Commission of Inquiry on Kaleshwaram row submits report
The Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission of Inquiry (CoI), instituted to probe the alleged irregularities in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), submitted its report to the government on Thursday.
Justice Ghose handed over the report to Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rahul Bojja at his office here. Mr. Bojja is likely to hand over the report to Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao.
The commission was constituted by the State Government in March 2024, but started functioning from May last year. During its 15 months of inquiry, the panel had visited the three barrages physically and examined a total of 115 witnesses, including engineers, officials, bureaucrats, and elected representatives, including former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and former ministers T. Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender.
Following sinking of some piers of the Medigadda Barrage and damage to the structure in the seventh block in October 2023, the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) took up a study-cum-inquiry into the damage based on an informal complaint by BJP leaders.
The Congress, which came to power in December in 2023, initially ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the issue and later instituted the Commission of Inquiry after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made an announcement in the Assembly.
In its preliminary report released a few days before the polling day of Assembly elections had found fault with all aspects pertaining to the barrages – from planning to maintenance. The report faulted use of secant piles for the foundation of Medigadda Barrage instead of sheet piles as planned initially and also lack of proper geological tests before taking up the construction.
Later, the NDSA submitted its interim report before the polling date of Lok Sabha elections reiterating its findings in the preliminary report and recommending some specific geological tests before taking up any remedial measures. In its final report, released in April this year the Central agency recommended reconstruction of the damaged block and other measures for the safety of the structure.
The Vigilance report too found similar problems and also the negligence of engineers concerned in following due procedures in all aspects of the barrages' construction beginning from planning and recommended action against them.
The commission examined the engineers who were involved in various stages of the barrages' construction and cross-examined them based on information collected from witnesses. Except for KCR's examination, which was on camera on the request of the witness, others were examined as open proceedings.
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