Ghose panel on Kaleshwaram Barrages sends notices to KCR, Harish Rao and Eatala
HYDERABAD
The Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission of Inquiry has sent notices to former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and former ministers T. Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender. The Commission of Inquiry was instituted by the Telangana government for inquiring alleged irregularities in the construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.
Asked to appear on June 5, 6 and 9
According to sources, the former Chief Minister and the former Ministers were asked to appear before the Commission of Inquiry on June 5, 6 and 9, respectively, for their examination over the decisions pertaining to the construction of the three barrages.
Term as Finance and Irrigation Ministers
Apart from being the head of Council of Ministers, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was in-charge of the Irrigation portfolio from December 2018 to November 2023, while Mr. Harish Rao was minister for Irrigation from June 2014 to December 2018. Similarly, Mr. Rajender, now a BJP MP from Malkajigiri, was the Finance minister from June 2014 to December 2018 and Mr. Harish Rao held the Finance portfolio from September 2019 to November 2023.
As the in-charges of finance portfolio, both Mr. Rajender and Mr. Harish Rao cleared the expenditure bills pertaining to the Kaleshwaram project, of which the three barrages are an integral part and form part of the head works. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao too was responsible for clearing some expenditure bills pertaining to the project in his capacity of the Finance portfolio in-charge from December 2018 to September 2019.
Report expected to be submitted in July last week
The term of the Commission of Inquiry was extended for seven times so far from its initial term till June 30, 2024. It is expected to submit the report to the government during the last week of July so that the latter could initiate action against those responsible for the damage caused to the three barrages.
Most of the engineers who have deposed before the Commission so far have either admitted to lapses in the procedures or expressed ignorance about decision-making. Sources said that the Commission is likely to cross-examine a few engineers and bureaucrats after the deposition by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, Mr. Harish Rao and Mr. Rajender.
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