KCR, Harish Expected To Attend KLIS Probe, Inquiry Set To Enter Decisive Phase
Under scrutiny: KCR and Harish Rao likely to face Ghose commission in Kaleshwaram probe amid high political stakes
Hyderabad: Though there is no official word from the BRS, it is learnt that a tentative decision has been arrived at that former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, viewed as the key person in the decision-making tree of the Kaleshwaram scheme, will appear before the Justice P.C. Ghose commission for cross-examination.
Former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao too is expected to do so, as will then BRS-minister and current BJP MP Etala Rajendar, it is learnt.
The Justice Ghose commission had served notices on the three leaders to appear before it for cross-examination with regard to the problems that beset the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages.
Chandrashekar Rao was asked to appear on June 5, Rajendar on June 6, and Harish Rao on June 9. The notices, sent on May 20, have been received by the respective leaders, and the commission expects to hear back from them soon, sources said. The three leaders were given 15 days to respond to the commission.
The decision by the BRS leaders was arrived at after weighing the various pros and cons of appearing or not doing so for the cross examination, sources said.
It may be recalled that amidst allegations and counter-allegations in December 2023, it was the BRS that had said that if the Congress government wanted to, it could order a probe into the Kaleshwaram project. During the debate on the White Paper on state finances in the Assembly on December 20, after facing an onslaught from the Congress on the Kaleshwaram project, Harish Rao had said that the BRS was ready for a probe into the project and had demanded that the government appoint a sitting judge into the problems that developed at the Medigadda barrage.
“Our party had asked for a probe and if KCR and Harish do not appear then it will send a very wrong signal,” a senior BRS leader said.
This aspect was reportedly discussed in the meetings over the past few days that Harish Rao and K.T. Rama Rao, BRS working president, had with Chandrashekar Rao. Since the party leaders believe that no wrong was committed by them, it would be best for Chandrashekar Rao and Harish Rao to appear before the commission, and provide clarifications to any questions the commission may have was the decision arrived at, it is learnt.
Another factor that was weighed upon was that if Chandrashekar Rao decided not to honour the notices, then it would send a signal — at least one that the Congress will run with — that he had something to hide. If he did attend, that would not be the ideal situation he would want to be in.
However, in the end, it was learnt that a tentative decision had been taken that the two BRS leaders would appear before the commission, and a formal decision is likely to be announced in the days to come.