Latest news with #PCGhose
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Turf war over Ghose panel's office a day after report submission
Hyderabad: Barely 24 hours after former Supreme Court judge, Justice PC Ghose, submitted his report on the Kaleshwaram barrages to the state govt, a turf battle broke out on the eighth floor of BRKR Bhavan. Staff of the Ghose commission accused the newly-formed Telangana Police Complaints Authority (TGPCA) of forcibly taking over their office space, locking them out, and even seizing furniture—before they could properly wrap up the commission's affairs. The flashpoint came on Aug 1, just a day after the commission's term ended. By Aug 3, the TGPCA's office was inaugurated on the same premises. Ghose commission staff say they were neither given time to vacate nor a formal handover process. "What was the hurry to occupy our office the very next day?" a commission official wondered. "We still hold thousands of documents and hundreds of files on the Kaleshwaram barrages. If those found guilty demand access to these papers, the commission must be in a position to produce them," he reasoned. The Ghose panel had handed over its report to irrigation principal secretary Rahul Bojja. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad According to staff, the TGPCA officials also took away furniture purchased by the commission without consent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tips for Maintaining Skin Elasticity After 60 FindingFrenzy Learn More Undo They pointed out that before vacating, the panel must submit a revised budget, return furniture in the prescribed format, and get govt clearance to settle bills. "It is unfortunate the office was occupied without following the due procedure," a senior member said. However, sources in the TGPCA dismissed the allegations and said they did not forcibly occupy the premises. They said they occupied the Ghose commission's office only after getting allotment order from the home department. They also said the Ghose commission staffers were asked to store their records in one room in the office. TGPCA, constituted in April, had been searching for accommodation for months. Sources said the police department approached the general administration department for space in BRKR Bhavan and secured the approval. After the dispute surfaced, the chief minister's office and the chief secretary reportedly stepped in to resolve the issue. The commission has now been told to store its files in a locked room, seal it, and shift operations to the irrigation department head office within a week. Attempts by TOI to reach the TGPCA senior officials for a comment were unsuccessful. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Harish's comments on Ghose panel insulted judiciary: Telangana Min Uttam
HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday demanded that former irrigation minister T Harish Rao apologise to the four crore people of Telangana for 'insulting the judiciary and retired Supreme Court judge Justice PC Ghose Commission of Inquiry on the Kaleshwaram project'. Responding to a PowerPoint presentation made by Harish earlier in the day, Uttam said in a statement that 'the cheaters' had no moral right to speak. He alleged that the BRS had belittled democratic institutions and shown no respect for the judiciary. 'There had been no change in the party's attitude even after the electorate delivered a verdict in the Assembly elections,' the statement said. Uttam added the BRS had shown no faith in the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), which was constituted through an Act of Parliament. He questioned how those 'wicked people responsible for the sinking of Medigadda piers' were now insulting a senior judge like PC Ghose. He said that irregularities by the previous BRS government in the guise of constructing the Kaleshwaram project had been revealed by the Ghose Commission. The report, he claimed, had disclosed the actions of then chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Harish, the then irrigation minister.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Independent panel held KCR responsible for KLIS irregularities: Telangana Min Uttam
HYDERABAD: It's official now. The Commission of Inquiry on the Kaleshwaram Project, headed by retired Supreme Court Judge PC Ghose, has placed full responsibility on former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for the irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). While KCR was the sole decision-maker for Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, he functioned as administrative executive, directed impounding of water at the barrages' peril, and is liable for irregularities and illegalities, the report says. The then irrigation minister T Harish Rao allowed KCR to fulfil his intentions and is thus also liable for the irregularities. The then finance minister Eatala Rajender was described as a tacit perpetrator who remained ignorant of financial implications and rules, it says. The Commission noted that Rajender lacked commitment and integrity in safeguarding state finances. The state Cabinet discussed the report on Monday. According to a PowerPoint presentation given by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy during the Cabinet meeting, the decision to construct the three barrages was made solely by KCR. The Commission observed that there was no formal government decision in this regard. The initial administrative approvals for the three barrages (GO Rt Nos. 231, 232 and 233, dated March 1, 2016) were not placed before or approved by the Cabinet, thus violating the government Business Rules. The Cabinet did not even ratify them. Works were awarded and started even before the detailed project report (DPR) by WAPCOS was finalised or vetted by the Central Water Commission (CWC). The CWC was still examining the project's cost estimate as late as May 2018, well after the administrative approvals were granted in March 2016. The Commission held that the manner in which the project was planned and executed caused a huge loss to the state exchequer.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
19 officials liable for action for lapses in KLIS execution: Report
Hyderabad: The Justice (Retd) PC Ghose commission, apart from pointing out lapses and negligence in the construction of three barrages, came to a conclusion that "the contracts were awarded illegally, estimates were revised maliciously by making undue favours to the agencies and extension of time was given collusively". L&T constructed the Medigadda barrage, while Afcons built Annaram and Navayuga Sundilla. Despite Central Water Commission's (CWC) advice for "turnkey basis" (A type of project delivery method where a single contractor takes care of a project from design and construction to commissioning and handover, with the client only needing to 'turn the key' to start using the completed facility) for construction and maintenance, the contracts were awarded on a "lump sum" basis (only construction work), it said. The commission named 19 officers and engineers, including former chief secretary SK Joshi and Smita Sabharwal, and said they were "liable for action". The commission said Joshi was responsible for "improper role in re-engineering and approvals" and failed to ensure Kaleshwaram project was taken up on turnkey basis. Then secretary in CMO, Smita Sabharwal, was held responsible for not being "diligent, negligent and irresponsible in the discharge of her duties" for failing to ensure business rules compliance regarding cabinet approvals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 30 Beautiful women who lived 80-100 years ago Undo Former ENC C Muralidhar, who was a key person in the irrigation department, acted with "malice and dishonesty" in pushing for revised estimates of the project and deliberately suppressed to CWC the fact that barrage works were taken up on lump sum basis. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad On the favours to contractors, Ghose said the issuance of "substantial construction completion certificate" and completion certificate later for Medigadda barrage was "wrong, illegal and tainted with malice to do undue favour to the agency," as works were not fully completed and defects were known. Bank guarantees were released based on false completion certificates. It also pointed out "extension of times were given in callous manner and breach of conditions". "L&T is liable to complete all the pending works including defect rectification works and restoration works including restoration of the Block 7 of Medigadda barrage, at its own cost. In case the Agency fails to act in this regard, the project authorities should get the works done and recover the amounts incurred thereupon from the agency in accordance with law," the report said. It said L&T's claim that it merely executed the works as per the design given to it was therefore unacceptable and there was email correspondence that shows the agency was involved in finalising the design along with Central Design Organisation (CDO) officials. The two other contractors of Annaram and Sundilla barrages "are held liable to rectify the defects at their cost since they are held to have not attended the same during defect liability period".
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
KCR responsible for ‘irregularities, bad planning and execution' of Kaleshwaram project: Inquiry commission
A commission of inquiry into the planning and execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana has held former chief minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao responsible for what it said was 'rampant procedural and financial irregularities, lack of proper planning, design flaws, construction defects and a complete absence of effective operation and maintenance'. The one-man Justice P C Ghose commission, which pointed out that the decision to construct barrages at Medigadda, Annaram and Sudilla was the 'sole and individual decision' of KCR and then irrigation minister T Harish Rao. The commission has pointed out that, violating government business rules, the initial administrative approval for the construction of the three barrages was not placed before the Cabinet. The commission said in its report that KCR ignored an expert committee recommendation of January 21, 2015, which 'rejected' the proposal to construct a barrage at Medigadda. The committee had said that the Medigadda barrage should not be constructed because of 'prohibitive cost and time consumption'. 'The expert committee report was intentionally… not considered and kept in cold storage by the then chief minister and minister for irrigation,' the report said. The report was tabled before incumbent Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's Cabinet on Monday. The P C Ghose commission was constituted after one of the pillars of the Medigadda barrage sank on October 21, 2023. This led to widespread flooding, and a team from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) examined the sunken pillar — No 20 of block 7 — on October 25. On February 13, 2024, the Congress government in the state asked the NDSA to conduct a 'thorough inspection of the design and construction of the three barrages' of the project. According to the commission's report, the cost of the project was initially estimated to be Rs 71,436 crore. The costs went up due to a change in specification, design, drawings, and other reasons, the commission noted. This led to 'wrongful syphoning of funds from the public exchequer', the commission's report said. The scathing report further said that 'there was absolutely no operation and maintenance of whatsoever nature, including periodical checks or inspections, pre- and post monsoon inspections and reports etc, of these three barrages at any time'. The report also found design deficiencies in that the barrages that were designed as permeable foundations were 'utilised as storage structures', which is against standard practice. The barrages were also kept at full capacity throughout to lift water through pumps, even as the barrages 'were diversion structures and not storage structures'. Running the barrages at full capacity seemed to have caused the distress, the commission noted. The KCR government also issued a substantial construction completion certificate for Medigadda to the construction agency without proper checks and balances, the report said. 'The award of the certificate was wrong, illegal and tainted with malice to do undue favour to the agency,' the report read. Apart from indicting KCR, the report also said that T Harish Rao, the then minister for irrigation, 'intentionally did not consider the report of the expert committee'. It also said the then minister for finance Eatala Rajender demonstrated a 'lack of commitment and integrity in safeguarding the financial and economic health of the newly formed state'. The commission concluded that the project was characterised by 'rampant and brazen financial irregularities'.
