Kaleshwaram: HC has not given clean chit to anyone

Telangana's Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Wednesday that the High Court has not given a clean chit to anyone in its verdict on the report of Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, which probed the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.

Reacting to the High Court order on the petitions of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), former minister T. Harish Rao and two others, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the petitioners approached the High Court seeking to quash the Government Order which constituted the Ghose Commission. However, the High Court did not find fault with the constitution of the judicial commission, he said.

The court did not find fault with the commission's findings either, he added.

According to him, the High Court stated that the commission's appointment was neither arbitrary, illegal, nor ultra vires.

The High Court raised objections regarding certain determinations made against individuals in the judicial commission's report, pointing out that notices were not issued to them in the prescribed format.

It granted relief to the petitioners by stating that no action should be taken against them solely based on the judicial commission's report.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government has already decided to ask the Centre for a CBI inquiry into the irregularities and failures in the Kaleshwaram project and has also written to the CBI.

"Today's High Court verdict is not an obstacle to the CBI inquiry. The court has not given a clean chit to anyone," he said.

The minister stated that the government will decide on further action after examining the full judgment.

He alleged that the collapse of the Kaleshwaram project is a fact. Irregularities occurred at every stage, from site selection to design, construction, and maintenance.

The court clarified that remarks made by the commission against certain individuals will remain inoperative only because notices were not issued to them. Under Section 8B, this is purely a procedural and technical matter, Uttam Kumar Reddy argued.

He recalled that on October 21, 2023, the seventh block of the Medigadda barrage sank. A barrage built with thousands of crores collapsed within three years.

The project constructed under the BRS government collapsed during their tenure itself. It is the responsibility of the present government to determine the reasons and take action as per law, he added.

The National Dam Safety Authority, under the Central government, submitted its preliminary report during the BRS regime itself, highlighting flaws in site selection, design, construction, and maintenance that led to the collapse of the barrages.

The Vigilance Commission appointed by the state government also exposed all the flaws in site selection, design, and construction of the barrages.

The retired Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, appointed by the state government, examined engineers, IAS officers, and administrative officials responsible at the time, and submitted its detailed 640-page report. The government placed the reports of the NDSA, Vigilance Commission, and Justice P.C. Ghose Commission before the Assembly in August.

Based on these reports, the government wrote to the CBl seeking an investigation. On September 1 last year, the state government issued a GO and notification handing over the investigation to the CBI. The High Court verdict does not hinder the CBI inquiry, he said.

The minister stated that for two years, not a drop of water has been lifted from any of the three barrages. Every year, the government bears debts and interest/principal repayment of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore in the name of this project.

Experts from reputed national institutions have already opined that not just two pillars, but the entire foundation of all three barrages is questionable. "The Kaleshwaram project is entirely a human failure. It is the biggest man-made disaster in the country. Precious public money has been wasted. It is the responsibility of the government to fix responsibility for this huge loss," he added.