The Kaleshwaram Judicial Inquiry Commission report has reached the state government. Chairman PC Ghosh on Thursday handed over the final report consisting of 650 pages in two sealed covers to Irrigation Department Principal Secretary Rahul Bojja at BRKR Bhavan in Hyderabad.
It is learnt that the report was stored in a locker in the CS office after he handed it over to the government’s Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao. After the state cabinet approved the PC Ghosh report, it is learnt that legal action will be taken against several officials and key figures in the previous government.
Meanwhile, it may be recalled that Reventh Reddy-led Congress government has set up the Kaleshwaram Judicial Inquiry Commission to investigate the irregularities in the construction of Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages, which are part of the Kaleshwaram projects ambitiously built by the previous BRS government.
A vigilance inquiry was conducted along with a study by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on the damage to the Medigadda Barrage and the emergence of seepage problems in other barrages. The vigilance submitted a preliminary report stating that the shortcomings were serious. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced that a judicial inquiry would be conducted during the debate in the Assembly.
The government immediately decided to form a commission. In this context, the Chief Justice of the combined Andhra Pradesh High Court and retired Supreme Court judge PC Ghosh was appointed. He served as India’s first Lokpal from 2019 to 2022. The single-member judicial inquiry commission, formed on March 14, 2024, headed by former Supreme Court judge PC Ghosh, interrogated 115 people for about 15 months.
The commission examined the DPR and designs related to these barrages and interrogated officials, contractors and politicians of the Irrigation Department based on the vigilance report. As part of this, the commission also cross-examined the then Chief Minister KCR, Finance Minister Etela Rajender and Irrigation Minister Tanniru Harish Rao.
The commission interrogated a total of 115 officials, contractors and politicians and recorded their statements. After analyzing the affidavits and statements, the commission prepared a final report and submitted it to the government. With the Kaleshwaram report reaching the government, there is currently excitement about what is in it.
