HYDERABAD: BRS MLA T Harish Rao on Friday called on PC Ghose, who is heading the Commission of Inquiry on Kaleshwaram, and submitted additional details available with him on the project.
Later speaking to reporters, the former irrigation minister said that in view of false reports in certain sections of the media, additional information was given to the Commission for clarity. As the BRS is not in power, most of the original documents are with the government, he said.
“I wrote letters to the chief secretary, GAD secretary and Irrigation secretary, requesting copies of Cabinet decisions and notes, and other related records from those years. However, there has been no response from their side,” he added.
In the wake of claims made by Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao and the Congress government’s stand that there was no Cabinet nod for the construction of Kaleshwaram, Harish Rao’s meeting with the Commission assumed importance.
“We consolidated all the information accessible to us and submitted it to the Commission in the form of a detailed note. As per our records, the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages had six separate Cabinet approvals.
We provided all six Cabinet approval documents to the Commission. In addition to this, there were three occasions when the Legislative Assembly endorsed the projects. We also gave details of the discussions and approvals that took place during those sessions,” he said.
Harish Rao, however, said that as the Commission’s inquiry is still ongoing, he will not be able to divulge more information on his meeting with Ghose.
The BRS leader said that there were more records, but the government was refusing to give those to them despite repeated requests. “If the government was transparent, then it should provide all information,” he said.
Meanwhile, Harish Rao termed the recent PowerPoint presentation made by the government on river waters a “cover-up presentation” meant to whitewash 50 years of Congress’ betrayal of Telangana.
Though the state was fighting in the Tribunal for 763 tmcft water in Krishna river, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy was saying that just 573 tmcft was sufficient for the state, he alleged.
“Are you working in the interest of Telangana or following the script of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu?” Harish asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy.