HYDERABAD: Former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao could well find himself summoned by the judicial commission probing into the lapses and corruption in the construction of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS). Rao has claimed several times that the Kaleshwaram scheme is his brainchild and that he had designed it.
The government had set up the commission, headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, a former Supreme Court judge and former Lok Pal, to conduct an inquiry into allegations of irregularities and embezzlement of public funds through corrupt practices in construction of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and reservoirs of the scheme. The commission began its work on Thursday.
A portion of the Medigadda barrage sank in October last year while leaks from under the foundations were discovered at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, raising serious questions about their stability and safety.
The Commission is expected to question all the officials involved in the planning, designing, construction and maintenance of the project’s barrages, as well as engineers from the companies – Larsen & Toubro, Afcons, and Navayuga — contracted to construct and maintain the barrages.
Justice Ghose, in an informal chat with reporters at the Commission’s offices in BRK Bhavan on Thursday, said the commission woud take into consideration reports from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the Vigilance & Enforcement (V&D) wing of the state government as part of its investigations.
On whether political leaders including the likes of Chandrashekar Rao could be questioned, Justice Mishra said the commission would summon anyone it saw fit for deposing before it as part of its investigation.
The commission will also be questioning engineers from the companies that built the barrages. “We will be discussing all issues with experts including the NDSA technical team, and irrigation officials at all levels and determine the role of each person in the execution of different phases of the project,” Justice Mishra said.
Meanwhile, the state government said that representations, submissions, allegations or grievances could be submitted to the commission till May 31. The material should in the form of a notarised sworn affidavit.
In a public notice on Thursday, irrigation and command area development department’s secretary Rahul Bojja, said all such submissions must be placed inside a sealed cover and deposited in a drop box set up in the peshi of the commission on the 8th floor of the BRK Bhavan on Tank Bund Road.
