KLIS Report To Be Tabled in Assembly Today
Chandrashekar Rao and T. Harish Rao have approached the High Court, claiming the report was politically motivated and that they were denied natural justice.
Hyderabad: The Congress government is set to table the Justice P.C. Ghose inquiry commission report on the Kaleshwaram project in the Assembly on Sunday, setting the stage for what could be among the most intense battles with the BRS in the House. The report implicates former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for alleged lapses in the ₹1.1 lakh crore project, particularly the construction of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.
The report, which was submitted on July 31 after a 15-month investigation, highlights "glaring irregularities" in the planning, design and construction of the project, specifically pointing to the sinking piers at the Medigadda barrage in 2023 and cracks appearing in other structures. The commission noted that the project was built on weak foundations and that water storage was carried out beyond the safe capacity, disregarding expert warnings.
Justice Ghose’s inquiry has blamed Chandrashekar Rao both "directly and vicariously" for bypassing Cabinet procedures and ignoring expert advice. This marks a major blow to the BRS government, which once touted Kaleshwaram as its flagship project. The commission also found that a report in 2015 warning against the Medigadda barrage was ignored, while decisions regarding the project were made unilaterally.
In preparation for the Assembly debate, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy briefed Congress MLAs on the findings of the report during a presentation at Jalasoudha on Saturday. This effort was aimed at equipping Congress members to effectively counter the opposition parties, BRS and BJP in the House, in the forthcoming debate.
The report’s findings have triggered legal battles. Chandrashekar Rao and T. Harish Rao have approached the High Court, claiming the report was politically motivated and that they were denied natural justice. The court ruled that the report should be debated in the Assembly before further legal proceedings could be considered. Harish Rao made another attempt on Saturday to stall the report, but the court refrained from issuing any stay orders, with the case set to be heard on Monday.
The Congress government is positioning the Kaleshwaram project as an economic disaster. The Speaker rejected the BRS’s request to make a presentation in the Assembly in its defence, citing a precedent when Chandrashekar Rao had denied a similar request from the Congress in 2015. Sources suggest that Chandrashekar Rao may skip the session, leaving Harish Rao and party working president K.T. Rama Rao to lead the BRS defence.
In an informal chat with media persons in Assembly premises on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka questioned the BRS’ stance, pointing out inconsistencies in their arguments, and asserting that then BRS goverment had refused similar powerpoint presentaton to oppositon Congress in the past.
R&B minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy told mediapersons that Chandrashekar Rao should personally appear in the Assembly to provide an explanation. He also pointed out that former chief minister had boasted about the project’s success during his tenure but is now unwilling to take responsibility for the failures highlighted in the report. Reddy emphasised that if Chandrashekar Rao was unable to defend the project, it would be seen as an admission of guilt.
