HYDERABAD: Describing the Justice PC Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) as “baseless, politically motivated, and a conspiracy,” former irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday emphatically stated that the project had Cabinet approval and was not an individual decision by former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
To support the assertion of a collective decision, he displayed copies of Cabinet approvals for the three barrages. “When the BRS returns to power, we would repair the two damaged piers of the Medigadda barrage and restore water supply to farmers,” he added.
Making a PowerPoint presentation a day after the state Cabinet decided to table in the Assembly the report submitted by the PC Ghose Commission, Harish stated, “It appears that the inquiry by the Commission was conducted in a conspiratorial manner.”
The 665-page report held KCR, Harish and former finance minister Eatala Rajender responsible. It stated: “The then finance minister remained a tacit perpetrator and the then irrigation minister allowed the chief minister to fulfil his desire.”
The report also observed that the former chief minister acted not as the head of government but as the administrative executive himself.
Harish: We’ll respond if govt places entire report before Assembly
Responding to the report, Harish alleged that the Congress government led by A Revanth Reddy was engaging in political vendetta. “Let the government place the entire report before the Assembly. We will respond in detail. We are ready for a discussion,” he asserted.
Harish alleged that the government had released a fabricated report lacking factual basis. He questioned why the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) teams that visited the Medigadda barrage had not visited the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, which he claimed had collapsed three times.
The former minister reiterated that if the full report was presented in the Assembly, the BRS would expose the Congress government. He also asserted that such Commissions of Inquiry would not withstand legal scrutiny.
Citing national examples, Harish said several such Commissions were constituted against political leaders in the past. “Revanth Reddy’s intention is to harass KCR,” he charged. Drawing a historical comparison, Harish recalled that a Commission had once been constituted against Sir Arthur Cotton for constructing the Dowleswaram barrage.
“What happened? Cotton remains in the hearts of the people of the Godavari region. Similarly, KCR would be remembered in Telangana for building the Kaleshwaram project which is a lifeline for the state,” Harish stated.
Disputing the state government’s position, Harish referred to observations by the Central Water Commission (CWC), which he said had stated there was no adequate water availability at Tummidihatti. That, he said, was the reason the BRS government relocated the project site to Medigadda.
He further stated there was nothing secretive about the Kaleshwaram project and that all details were publicly available in the Detailed Project Report.
He said all required approvals for the project were given by the Centre and questioned how the Commission could criticise a project that had received such permissions.
Harish’s take on the matter
The SLBC tunnel project collapsed. The government has not recovered six bodies so far. Will Revanth Reddy and Uttam take responsibility?
The current commissions and legal cases are meant to divert attention from the Revanth Reddy government’s failures
The Central Technical Advisory Committee approved Kaleshwaram. The Ghose Commission, therefore, is indirectly criticising the Centre
Many commissions have been used to target political rivals. The Shah Commission targeted Indira Gandhi; the Hemington Commission questioned Sir Arthur Cotton and reportedly asked him 900 questions
Kaleshwaram infrastructure includes 15 reservoirs, 19 substations, 21 pump houses, a 203-km tunnel, 1,531 km gravity canal, and a 98-km pressure main. Only two piers of one barrage were damaged. Yet, the Congress claims the entire project has collapsed
Uttam had told the Assembly that the Annaram and Sundilla barrages were safe
The expert committee told the Ghose Commission that the Medigadda barrage was built following their recommendations