Uttam questions BRS leaders reluctance to face Kaleshwaram probe
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Hyderabad: Questioning why the BRS chief, K Chandrasekhar Rao, and ex-minister, T Harish Rao, were afraid of a judicial probe into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), Telangana irrigation minister, N
Uttam Kumar Reddy
, said if they (BRS leaders) believe and are confident the Kaleshwaram project was an engineering marvel, why don't they cooperate with the one-man commission that is probing the sinking of the Medigadda barrage and other issues in Kaleshwaram barrages.
"Ever since Justice (retd) PC Ghose's one-man commission served notices to both KCR and Harish Rao, the BRS leadership has been running a propaganda campaign instead of cooperating. If they have confidence in the project, why don't they appear before the Commission and make their case? KTR should be renamed 'Goebbels Rao' for the way he is spreading misinformation and attacking institutions," Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said at a press conference.
He addressed the press conference along with another minister, Seethakka, at the secretariat on Friday.
He clarified that the one-man commission was an independent, legally constituted body, established to investigate alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project's planning, execution, and financial management. "This is not a political tool. Even former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appeared before a commission.
If KCR and Harish Rao are clean, they should not fear a notice. But the moment the notices arrived, they began issuing derogatory statements against the Congress govt and the Commission," he said.
Uttam condemned BRS leaders for "disparaging a judicial process" and warned that deliberate attempts to undermine the Commission's credibility could have legal consequences. "You cannot insult an institution simply because you've been asked to respond to questions about the Kaleshwaram project.
The law will take its course," he said.
Referring to recent remarks by BRS leaders about sabotage at the Medigadda barrage, Uttam questioned their motives. "You were in govt when the FIR was filed. Why didn't you bring up this 'bomb' theory then? Why now? Are you trying to escape the judicial process by creating sensational diversions?" he asked. "If you have such evidence, submit it to the Commission instead of shouting from rooftops."
Uttam reminded that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) labelled the project a 'white elephant' and that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) raised serious objections to its detailed project report (DPR), redesign, and construction quality.
The minister said the state govt was exploring ways to revive and repurpose the Kaleshwaram project, though the task is daunting. "We are making non-political, fact-based efforts to salvage what we can. But the foundations are defective. Every test report exposes the fraud. This is why BRS leaders are panicking—not because of politics, but because the truth is catching up."
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