KLIS probe: PC Ghose commission seeks cabinet approval details from state govt
The one-man commission, which is probing the sinking of piers at Medigadda and damages to the Annaram and Sundilla barrages under KLIS, cross-examined former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former ministers T Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender. Following their depositions, the commission reportedly wrote a letter to the irrigation department on June 13, requesting further details, if any.
Sources said the commission sought cabinet approvals and other details after KCR, Harish Rao and Eatala stated during their cross-examination that all the decisions — including shifting of project source from Thummidihatti to Medigadda, cost revisions, approvals for Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, and creation of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Corporation — had cabinet approvals.
The previous BRS govt had constituted a cabinetsub-committee led by former minister T Harish Rao, with Eatala Rajender and Tummala Nageshwara Rao as members. The cabinet subcommittee had reportedly recommended the decisions based on the suggestions from a high-level expert committee on the irrigation project.
However, Tummala, who is currently a minister in the current Congress govt, claimed that although he was a member of the sub-committee, many issues were never discussed in the meeting and were instead approved solely by KCR.
'The commission only asked for any additional information pertaining to the project, not exactly cabinet decisions. These were provided by irrigation secretary on same day ,' sources told TOI .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Harish Rao insulting judiciary after being rattled with Ghose Commission's findings: Uttam
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy accused BRS MLA leader and former minister T. Harish Rao of insulting the judiciary for his criticism of the PC Ghose Commission's findings on the Kaleshwaram project, and demanded an apology. Mr. Reddy said the former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Mr. Harish Rao were rattled after the Judicial Commission exposed the financial irregularities and that the Kaleshwaram project was approved without Cabinet consent, with contracts signed under dubious directions from Mr. KCR and Mr. Harish Rao. 'You committed a scam worth thousands of crores and now call the Judicial Commission a political vendetta?', he asked in response to Mr. Harish Rao's presentation on Tuesday. The Minister reminded that both former CM KCR and Mr. Harish Rao had appeared before the Judicial Commission. 'Why didn't Harish Rao raise these objections before the commission? Why come out now with baseless allegations in front of party workers?' he questioned. The commission's detailed report exposed widespread irregularities, design flaws and structural failures in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, particularly the sinking of the Medigadda barrage. Mr. Reddy said the Congress believes in democracy and the judiciary, which is why it was ready to hold a full discussion in the Assembly based on the Commission's report. 'Those found guilty, including former ministers, are welcome to join the debate and present their version,' he said.
Hans India
44 minutes ago
- Hans India
BRS Gadwal In-Charge Basu Hanumanthu Naidu Slams Congress Over Kaleshwaram Report, Calls It a Political Vendetta
Gadwal: The Kaleshwaram Commission report is part of a politically motivated vendetta jointly carried out by the Congress and BJP parties, said Basu Hanumanthu Naidu, BRS Party in-charge for Gadwal constituency. He made these remarks after attending a live screening of the PowerPoint presentation delivered by former minister T. Harish Rao on the Kaleshwaram issue. The session was organized on Tuesday at the BRS District Office in Gadwal, where Basu Hanumanthu Naidu, along with party leaders and cadres, watched Harish Rao's presentation—broadcast from the Telangana Bhavan, Hyderabad—on an LED screen. The presentation addressed what the BRS party claims are false allegations made by the Congress government about corruption in the Kaleshwaram Project. Speaking on the occasion, Basu Hanumanthu Naidu stated that Harish Rao 'broke the lies into pieces' with factual clarity. He accused the Congress of proving the saying 'one lie leads to a thousand lies.' Referring to Congress' earlier claims of ₹1 lakh crore corruption in the Kaleshwaram project, he criticized them for fabricating new lies to back their initial baseless claims after coming into power. 'No matter how many commissions you set up, how many investigations you conduct, or how many hundreds of pages you publish in your reports, the BRS party is ready to face all of it,' he asserted. He added that what the Congress government failed to achieve in 60 years, KCR accomplished in just three years by completing the Kaleshwaram Project and bringing water to drought-hit fields. 'No amount of fake documentation can erase this truth,' he emphasized. The event saw participation from a large number of BRS leaders and supporters, including Nagar Doddi Venkata Ramulu, Chakradhar Rao, G. Raghavendra Reddy, Angadi Basavaraj, Patel Janardhan Reddy, Atukuri Rehman, Monesh, Kottapalli Venkateshwara Reddy, Beechupalli Kurava Palleiah, S. Ramu Naidu, Ganjipeta Raju, Venkatesh Naidu, Tower Mukbal, Mahadevappa, D. Shekhar Naidu, Rayapuram Veeresh, Govindu, Maddileti, Rajini Babu, Muni Mourya, Rolli Krishna, Kangaru Thimmappa, Abraham, Anji, Govardhan, Obulesh, Ramudu, Venkatesh, Thimmappa, Gonupadu Ramu, Nagaraju, Anjaneyulu, along with several party leaders, workers, youth members, and supporters.
The Hindu
44 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress leaders in New Delhi to expedite reorganisation process
Congress leaders in Kerala made a beeline for New Delhi on Tuesday to enlist the help of the national leadership in streamlining the party's much-delayed reorganisation ahead of the local body elections later in the year. A triad headed by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, and United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Adoor Prakash held marathon meetings with MPs from Kerala, reportedly to ease purported intra-party tensions over recasting district congress committees (DCCs). KPCC working presidents were also involved in the discussions, along with a few select general secretaries. According to a Congress insider, the KPCC aims to replace at least eight DCC presidents, prioritising community, caste, and age demographics, as well as efficiency, over factional considerations. However, he claimed that some tension loomed over the reorganisation process, with a few leaders questioning the wisdom of changing 'entrenched' DCC presidents, including a few of their loyalists, when the local body polls were at the doorstep. 'The KPCC leadership will likely focus on bringing sceptical MPs on board to broadcast a message of unity to flip the script on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the local body elections projected to be a three-cornered fight,' he said. The leadership meeting also occurs amid intra-party criticism, recently voiced by Congress veteran P.J. Kurien, among others, that, apart from the bluster of young leaders, the party lacked boots on the ground for door-to-door campaigns to ensure pro-party voter turnout. Mr Kurien also pointed out that the Congress lacked ward committees in several regions. Mr. Satheesan rubbished reports that dissent plagued the reorganisation process. Mr. Joseph said the reorganisation would make the Congress election machinery battle-ready. He refused to set a deadline for the process. When asked whether MPs had suggested any particular names for DCC president posts in their respective constituencies, Mr. Joseph said there was 'no dearth of names for leadership roles in the Congress. We are hoping to strike a balance between youthfulness and experience,' he added.
