HYDERABAD: Uncertainity looms over whether former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be summoned by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, heading a judicial commission investigating the irregularities and corruption allegations in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. When TNIE posed the same question to Justice Ghose, who commenced his work at the BRKR Bhavan on Thursday, he shot back: “Do you want me to summon him?”
When TNIE reminded that Justice BK Somasekhara, the one-man Commission of Inquiry that probed into the alleged scam in paying compensation for the land acquired for the Yeleru canal in combined Andhra Pradesh summoned former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Justice Ghose said that functioning and thinking of one judicial commission would be different from other. He, however, hastened to add that ‘facts’ were more important than ‘faces’. He was also non-committal about summoning KCR. He, however, said that if needed, they would summon anyone. The Commission issued a notification seeking suggestions from the public on Kaleshwaram. Once the Commission receives the information, then it may summon the engineering officials involved in the construction works and the representatives of contracting agencies of KLIS to depose before it.
The Commission would also study the Vigilance and Enforcement report on Medigadda and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on KLIS. It also requested the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) to give its preliminary report immediately.
Justice Ghose told TNIE that he would visit Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages in his next visit to the state. The deadline for him to submit the report is June 30. However, the Commission wants to give its report at the earliest.
Uttam meets Justice Ghose, expects NDSA report on KLIS in next 4 days
Earlier, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja and Special Secretary Irrigation Prashant Patil paid a courtesy call on Justice PC Ghose.
Uttam said that they were expecting NDSA report on KLIS in next four days. He said that the government would follow the suggestions given by NDSA.
Notification issued
The Ghose Commission issued a public notice seeking suggestions from the public on Kaleshwaram on Thursday.
“The general public is hereby informed that, they can submit their representations/allegations or grievances with evidence in the form of notarised sworn in affidavit only in a sealed envelope. Any representation without evidence or without sworn in affidavit shall not be entertained by this Commission. Sealed envelopes can be put in a drop box at the Commission office till May 31, from 11 am to 3 pm on working days in the Peshi of the Commission, located at the BRKR Bhavan, Tank Bund Road, Hyderabad.”
The state government in exercise of powers conferred by Section (3) of Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 (Central Act No 60 of 1952), has appointed Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, former Judge of Supreme Court, to conduct inquiry on certain allegations of irregularities and embezzlement of public funds by corrupt practices in constructing of barrages of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla reservoirs of Kaleshwaram project.