Justice P.C. Ghose Commission has issued notices to former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS supremo K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). Notices have also been served to T. Harish Rao and Etela Rajender, who served as ministers during the BRS regime. Harish Rao was the Irrigation Minister while Etela Rajender held the Finance portfolio under KCR’s leadership. Rajender is currently a BJP MP.
The Commission has directed KCR to appear before it on June 5, Harish Rao on June 6, and Etela Rajender on June 9. The Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice P.C. Ghose, is investigating the construction of barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, especially after the reported sinking of the Medigadda barrage. The current Telangana State Government had constituted this judicial inquiry commission to also probe into the Sundilla and Annaram barrages.
The Commission was established in March 2024 and has since examined senior officials from the Irrigation and finance departments, representatives of the construction firms, and those responsible for design, construction, quality control, and pay and accounts. The Congress Government has already extended the Commission’s tenure seven times. The current deadline was set to end this month, but the Government has extended it once again till July 31.
Recently, Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) had termed the Kaleshwaram project — constructed at a cost of over Rs 1 lakh crore — as “probably the biggest man-made disaster in the country.”
Following the ongoing inquiry, there is speculation that Justice Ghose will soon submit his final report to the Government. During depositions, several senior officials reportedly stated that major decisions were taken in the presence of KCR and implemented on his directions. In this context, the Commission is believed to have decided to seek the views of KCR, Harish Rao, and Etela Rajender regarding those decisions.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), once touted as the flagship infrastructure achievement of the BRS government under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, has now become the centre of a fierce political storm. Allegations of serious technical flaws and financial irregularities have not only raised concerns over the project’s viability but have also sparked a high-stakes political battle between current Congress Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his predecessor. While the Congress government is accusing the previous regime of large-scale corruption and mismanagement—particularly in light of the National Dam Safety Authority’s damning remarks—the BRS leadership has dismissed these charges as politically motivated. With the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission issuing notices and expanding its inquiry, the KLIP controversy continues to deepen, casting a long shadow over Telangana’s irrigation policy and public accountability.
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