Cabinet Decides To Wait For Ghose Commission Report Before Initiating Punitive Action On Kaleshwaram
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, lasted for nearly five and a half hours.
Hyderabad:The state Cabinet meeting held on Thursday at Secretariat witnessed an intense and extended discussion on the reports submitted by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the Telangana Vigilance Commission concerning the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, official sources said. The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, lasted for nearly five and a half hours.
According to official sources, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the findings of both NDSA and Vigilance Commission reports. The reports strongly indicted the previous BRS government for the structural failures of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, the critical components of the Kaleshwaram project.
Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted the NDSA’s 378-page report about serious flaws in the project’s planning and execution, including the redesigning of the original plan, relocation of the project site from Tummidihatti to Kaleshwaram, and faulty structural designs in key barrages. The report criticised the absence of a proper Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manual, which adversely affected the hydro-mechanical systems of the barrages and contributed to their eventual failure.
The NDSA also pointed out that construction of the three barrages had commenced before the Detailed Project Report (DPR) had been fully appraised by the Central Water Commission and other Central agencies. The Irrigation Department, under the previous regime, had reportedly made several significant deviations from the approved parameters, he said.
The Vigilance Commission’s report went a step further, recommending criminal proceedings against 17 irrigation officials for negligence in the construction of the Medigadda barrage. The report also named engineering firm L&T, which was involved in the construction, and called for criminal action against it. In total, the report proposed penalties on 33 engineers, including former Engineers-in-Chief, Chief Engineers, and Superintending Engineers. It further advised action against seven retired engineers.
However, the Cabinet decided not to take immediate action. Instead, it resolved to await the final report of the Justice Ghose Commission, which is currently probing the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project. The commission has already issued notices to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, and former finance minister Etala Rajendar to appear before it.
While Rajendar is scheduled to appear on Friday, Harish Rao is to appear on June 9, and KCR on June 11. The Justice Ghose Commission is expected to submit its report by the end of the month. In this context, the cabinet felt that it would be prudent to defer any decision on punitive actions until the Commission’s findings are officially submitted.
