Latest news with #KaleshwaramLiftIrrigationProject
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Congress, BRS scratching each other's backs: MoS Bandi Sanjay
KARIMNAGAR: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday accused both the ruling Congress and the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS of working hand in glove over the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) and the phone-tapping case. Sanjay alleged that the two parties had a quid pro quo arrangement to shield each other from corruption and mislead the public. Reacting to BRS working president KTR's warning of legal action if he failed to withdraw his remarks, Sanjay stated, 'Name any temple, I will come there with my family. Will you also come with your wife, children, and parents? Will you make them swear that you have no connection with phone-tapping? I, along with my family, will swear that you did. If you don't believe in temples, we can go to a mosque or a church. Are you ready for such an oath?' he asked. Sanjay also said the SIT was not competent to issue notices to judges and demanded that the phone-tapping case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED, alleging it involved extortion. Responding to criticism from both BRS and Congress on whether he distrusted the SIT, he clarified that he trusted the agency but not the Congress-led state government. He accused the government of probing multiple scams but failing to act on them.
Hans India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Cong & BRS shielding each other, says Bandi Sanjay
Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, alleged political collusion and deep-seated corruption that the Congress and BRS are complicit in a tacit agreement of, 'We protect your 10 years of protect our exploitation.' He alleged this quid pro quo, shielding each other from the consequences of their respective omissions and commissions in running the state. The Karimagnar MP who celebrated the Raksha Bandhan on Saturday with party workers, leaders, media and his constituents after addressing the media in his constituency contended that the Congress party, which currently governs the state, has not taken decisive action against the family of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), despite an overwhelming evidence of large-scale corruption during the preceding 10-year BRS rule. He said that the inaction stems from Congress's own 'vested interests' and 'large stakes' intertwined with the alleged irregularities, resulting in a reluctance to pursue genuine accountability. He highlighted the brewing public distrust towards the Congress government in the state because of its repeated failures to take on corruption. He said key reports—such as the Power Procurement Commission report and findings related to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) —have not been discussed in the state cabinet or released to the public. This lack of openness, he argues, feeds suspicions that significant evidence is being actively suppressed and that the public is being kept in the dark about the true scale of mismanagement and corruption. The former State BJP chief expressed complete lack of confidence in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with probing the telephone tapping scandal, arguing that the SIT lacks both the stature and the authority to summon and interrogate key people such as judges, chief ministers, or high-ranking officials from central departments. Sanjay insists this is insufficient for a scandal with such wide-reaching implications. 'Only central agencies—such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED)—have the real power to conduct an impartial, thorough investigation, he asserts. He said, anything less risks letting those most responsible evade and go scot-free. The phone tapping scandal, he said, involves a broad range of targets, including politicians, business people, and even judges, with the operation allegedly being used as a tool of blackmail and extortion. Sanjay Kumar challenged, inviting BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and T Harish Rao to join him and their families in taking an oath at a temple, mosque, or church, swearing their innocence or guilt regarding the phone tapping accusations. He pledges to do so himself, underscoring his conviction that tapping did indeed occur. Moreover, he calls for immediate notice and investigation against KCR's daughter, Kavitha. Further, the appointment of Prabhakar Rao as head of the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) in violation of Union Home Ministry norms, as Rao was allegedly retired at the time of his appointment. He accused the KCR administration of flouting rules meant to safeguard surveillance data, claiming the previous government kept such records well beyond their legal destruction dates, only deleting them after being voted out of office—actions he views as deliberate attempts to hide wrongdoing. Beyond issuing challenges and criticising individuals, Sanjay calls upon BRS MLAs to leave their party 'out of shame,' citing the widespread alleged phone tapping of ministers, MLAs, and public figures. He argues that the SIB under KCR was manipulated for 'nefarious purposes' and personal gain. Despite the inability of the central government to directly intervene in state-level investigations, Sanjay insists this reality only adds urgency to his demand for a CBI inquiry. He said only central agencies possess the autonomy and statutory powers required to conduct an impartial probe, especially given the cross-jurisdictional nature of political corruption in India. Sanjay is also unflinching in the face of legal notices issued by KTR, describing such actions as mere attempts at political intimidation, not genuine efforts to unearth the truth. He does not take them seriously, and he uses such political tactics.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project: Ghose panel digs up Rs 612-cr excess payments to L&T, others
Hyderabad: The PC Ghose Commission of Inquiry into the allegations of corruption and irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project has dug up massive financial and other misdeeds in the execution of the project. In its 650-page report submitted to the state government recently, the Commission has brought to light undue financial favours as well as excess payments to the contracting agencies involved in the construction of the barrages under the Kaleshwaram project. "Post-tender inclusion of price adjustment clauses in five agreements led to an avoidable payment of price escalation of Rs. 1,342.48 crore. Other inflated rates, undue benefits/excess payments to contractors, including L&T company, amounted to Rs. 612.51 crore", the report said. The L&T company, which constructed the Medigadda barrage, could be the big beneficiary of the excess payments from the state government. The Commission took serious note of the excess payments to the contract agencies and recommended the government to go for a financial investigation into the matter of raising loans by the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited (KIPCL) and disbursing the same and the ultimate beneficiary. It suggested to the government to also go for a deep, critical and objective study in respect of observance or otherwise of the exact rules and laws in the matter of off-budget borrowings by the State and KIPCL for construction of the three barrages - Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram. The procedure adopted for processing and scrutiny of the bills submitted by the agencies (including regarding price adjustment) must also to be investigated in depth, it suggested. The Ghose Commission report included an incisive analysis of the escalation of the project cost from Rs 38,500 crore to Rs 71,436 crore for Kaleshwaram (as per CM's letter in 2016), and later saw revised administrative approvals totaling over Rs.1,10,248.48 crore by March 2022. The Commission also pointed to the Expert Committee's view that shifting of the project from Tummidihetti to Medigadda would render 'approximately Rs. 6,000 crore' of work already done as 'infructuous', plus an additional Rs. 1,500 crore for tunnel lining/filling, and extra land acquisition cost. The report pegged the burden of Off-Budget Borrowings (OBBs) by the KIPCL with state government guarantees at Rs. 87,449.15 crore (as of March 2022). The Commission observed that the burden of repayment of the loan and interest is likely to fall on the State Budget. As of September 2024, Rs 29,737.06 crore had been paid towards the principal and interest. The balance principal is Rs. 64,212.78 crore, with approximate additional interest payable being Rs. 41,638 crore. The Commission pointed out that the loans were diverted/transferred to the government (Rs. 1,690.09 crore) and used for margin money (Rs. 4,011.52 crore), incurring additional interest burdens.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Kaleshwaram likely to be a major drain on State exchequer even if completed: CAG
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) is likely to be a major drain on the State exchequer in the coming years even if the government decides to go ahead with completing the balance works of the much-publicised project. The government or the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited (KIPCL) will require a total amount of ₹1,41,544.59 crore, ranging from ₹712.44 crore to ₹14,462.15 crore every year, in the next 14 years for debt servicing, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said in its performance audit of the project. According to the KIPCL, loans amounting to ₹87,449.16 crore had been raised out of which ₹71,713.67 crore had been disbursed till last fiscal. The corporation said, in reply to an RTI query last year, that the repayment of principal and interest started last year and the State had repaid ₹22,511.98 crore interest and principal of ₹8,324.96 crore. This leaves a balance of ₹63,388 crore principal and ₹43,883 crore interest taking the total to ₹1.07 lakh crore. This was on account of high interest loans of over 10% from institutions like the PFC and REC. With the repayment tenure of a majority of loans ending in the fiscal 2034-35, the government had to set aside ₹10,000 crore every year making it a challenging task in view of the scarce resources that the State could mobilise. The CAG, in its report, faulted the government for escalation of overall project cost significantly. It said the overall cost of works increased from ₹63,352 crore to ₹1.02 lakh crore by ₹38,915 crore, 61.43% which cannot be considered as normal. The Kaleshwaram project even if completed in all respects will still require huge amounts in view of the power consumed by the multi-purpose project. Power requirement, according to the detailed project report, was assessed at 13,558 million units on the initial assessment that 180 tmc ft would be lifted from Medigadda and 20 tmc ft from Yellampally reservoir for the project. This works out to annual energy costs at ₹4,148 crore in the benefit cost ratio calculations. However, with the CWC raising the quantum of water to be lifted at Medigadda to 195 tmc ft, the requirement would proportionately increase to 14,687 million units and the annual energy cost had to be worked out with the prevailing rate. The department had however adopted a lower rate of ₹3 a unit, whereas the prevailing tariff chargeable for the government lift irrigation schemes by the distribution companies was ₹6.40 a unit. 'Considering the correct tariff, the annual cost on electricity consumption of 14,687 million units works out to ₹9,400.21 crore as against the amount of ₹4,148.80 crore projected in the DPR, the CAG said. Illustrating the Congress Government's charge, the then Government had awarded the works even before the approval of the DPR indicating that DPR process was treated as a mere paper formality rather than treating it as a vital process in planning and designing the project. The exercise undermined the prescribed mechanism of appraisal of projects with inter-State ramifications by the CWC, the CAG said.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Rectify Medigadda damages at your cost, Ghose panel to L&T
Hyderabad: Justice PC Ghose Commission has accused L& T company of obtaining a completion certificate from the authorities even as the Medigadda works, which it was to execute fully, remained incomplete. The commission, which investigated the irregularities in the construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), made it abundantly clear that it was the contract agency's responsibility to complete all pending works, including those pertaining to defect rectification and restoration of the 7th Block of Medigadda barrage, at its own cost. L&T constructed Medigadda barrage, the flagship of the KLIP. In its report, the commission said that: "L&T is not entitled to seek either the substantial construction completion certificate or the certificate of completion of works. It is held that the barrage works of Medigadda have not been completed and, for the reasons recorded in the report, the agency is liable to complete all the pending works, including defect rectification works and restoration works apart from restoration of the 7th block of Medigadda barrage, at its own cost". Further, the Ghose report said that in case the agency fails to act in this regard, the project authorities shall get the said works done and recover the amounts incurred thereupon from the defaulting agency as per the terms of the contract and in accordance with law. The agencies for the construction of Annaram and Sundilla barrages are also held liable to rectify the defects at their cost since they had not attended the same during Defect Liability Period (DLP) The commission said that totality of the facts and the analysis of the evidence led the Commission to the irresistible conclusion that the certificates of completion issued in respect of the Medigadda barrage were incorrect and unjustified. 'The defect liability period has not legally commenced as the structure was not complete in terms of the contract', it pointed out holding that the contractor is liable to repair the damage in accordance with the contractual terms at his cost. The commission observed that the totality of the facts revealed clinching evidence and explicitly prove the fact that the project authorities and the agency were hand in glove with each other and acted with concerted malicious intention in pursuit of their unfair and ulterior motive to unduly benefit and make unlawful gains from the huge amount of public money expended on the construction of Medigadda barrage.
