HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the state government to furnish a written update on the action taken regarding a complaint seeking probes by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into the sinking of the piers of the Medigadda barrage.
The complaint is currently pending with the chief secretary.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, was adjucating a PIL filed by TPCC senior vice president G Niranjan seeking an investigation by CBI and SFIO into the sinking of the Medigadda barrage, which is a crucial part of the Kaleshwaram project.
When counsel for the petitioner requested the court to direct the state government to submit a detailed affidavit on the matter, Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, turning towards the Additional Advocate General, remarked, “There are some developments in this case... apprise the court as to what is the development on the complaint given by the petitioner, which is pending with the state. The state has to make some statements on this issue.”
The bench then adjourned the PIL at the scrutiny stage by two weeks. Niranjan had lodged a complaint with the President, the Election Commission of India, the Governor of Telangana, and the Union of India, highlighting irregularities in the execution of the Kaleshwaram Project and seeking a probe into the matter. The ECI redirected the complaint to the chief secretary for appropriate action.
In his submission to the court, the petitioner outlined that the Kaleshwaram project was constructed at an estimated cost of `1,25,000 crore. The project was funded by loans amounting to `86,064 crore from various public sector banks. The funds were disbursed to the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited, represented by its managing director.
The Medigadda barrage began sinking on October 21, 2023, as certain piers and crucial components sank into the sand, deviating from their normal alignment.
A six-member team of the National Dam Safety Authority conducted an inspection and issued a report citing deficiencies in dam maintenance, lack of quality control during construction, and ultimately declaring the dam useless until fully rehabilitated.