Ghose Commission Blames KCR For Kaleshwaram Barrages

The Telangana government today presented the P C Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram project in the State Assembly.

The voluminous report, running into 665 pages, was tabled in the House and copies were distributed to all ministers, while MLAs were provided the report on pen drives.

The judicial commission reportedly conducted a detailed investigation into multiple aspects of the project, including the construction of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, the awarding of contracts, the revision of estimates, and the bill payments.

The inquiry concluded that the entire execution of the project was directly overseen by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and named him the primary offender, holding his decisions responsible for the present crisis faced by the barrages. It also said that public funds were misappropriated.

According to the report, KCR interfered in almost every aspect of the project. The project was launched without proper Cabinet discussions or adequate documentation, a letter on the project costs was sent to the Prime Minister even before the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), and estimates were inflated without justification, the report said. The barrage was shifted from Tummidihatti to Medigadda through a unilateral decision, and water storage limits were determined solely by KCR, it added.

The report also held then Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Finance Minister Etala Rajender accountable for the project's lapses. It said that Rajender had failed to discharge his responsibilities as Finance Minister in matters of financial scrutiny.

The performance of senior IAS officers S K Joshi and Smita Sabharwal, who were part of the then administration, also came under criticism.

The Commission held that the construction companies that the contracts were awarded to - L&T, Afcons and Navayuga - played a significant role in the shortcomings of the three barrages.