Revanth Reddy demanded that the BRS spell out what kind of inquiry they wanted into the allegations raised by the commission, and dismissed Harish Rao’s claim that Maharashtra had objected to the Thummidi Hatti site.
Published Aug 31, 2025 | 8:53 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2025 | 8:53 PM
Revanth Reddy accused former irrigation minister Harish Rao of misleading the House
Synopsis: The Telangana Legislative Assembly saw heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BRS on Sunday after the Justice PC Ghose Commission’s report on alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project was tabled. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy accused the previous BRS government of shifting the project site from Thummidi Hatti to Medigadda with an intent to misuse public funds. BRS leader T Harish Rao dismissed the allegations, claiming the commission had violated natural justice.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Sunday, 31 August, witnessed heated exchanges over the Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission’s report on alleged irregularities in the design and construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).
The 665-page report examined alleged irregularities in the construction of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages. Its findings led to sharp arguments between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy accused former Irrigation Minister and BRS legislator T Harish Rao of misleading the House by previously claiming that the Pranahita-Chevella project site at Thummidi Hatti in Adilabad was shifted to Medigadda in Bhupalpally due to lack of sufficient water.
Intervening in a short discussion on the commission’s report, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Chief Minister said that then Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had made it clear in 2015 that there was enough water at Thummidi Hatti. Despite this, the Chief Minister said the previous BRS government moved the site to Medigadda.
To support his allegation, Revanth Reddy read out a letter written by Uma Bharti to the Telangana government in 2015, in which Bharti had cleared the project at Thummidi Hatti. Yet, Reddy said the BRS government sought to reconsider the proposal with the intent of looting public money.
The Chief Minister reminded the House that even in 2009, during the Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the Centre had approved the project at Thummidi Hatti. Yet, after coming to power in 2014, the BRS chose to construct the barrage at Medigadda in violation of rules.
“The BRS is upset with the PC Ghose Commission only because it has exposed the truth,” he said.
Revanth Reddy asked the BRS to spell out what kind of inquiry they wanted into the allegations raised by the commission.
“There is no point in quibbling over technicalities. Let them respond directly to the charges,” he said. He also questioned why Harish Rao insisted on the site shift when the Centre had confirmed that sufficient water was available at Thummidi Hatti.
He dismissed Harish Rao’s claim that Maharashtra had objected to the Thummidi Hatti site.
“The Maharashtra government never objected. They only asked Telangana to reduce the project’s height to minimise submergence. But KCR wanted to loot public money. He wanted to become richer than the Nizams, and that is why the project was shifted to Medigadda,” the Chief Minister alleged.
Defending the project, Harish Rao argued that the same Uma Bharti’s letter cited by Revanth Reddy also mentioned in its last page that water availability at Thummidi Hatti could be doubtful.
He objected to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy’s earlier questioning of his and KCR’s decision to approach the courts.
“It is our democratic right to go to court when our rights are infringed. The commission did not even give us an opportunity to defend ourselves. We were never informed that charges were being framed. This violates the principles of natural justice,” he said.
Harish Rao said that the report of any commission that ignores due process is invalid. He compared the PC Ghose Commission to the Shah Commission, whose findings were struck down by the Supreme Court for failing to issue notices under Section 8(b) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.
“The Congress itself had opposed the Shah Commission across the country. By the same logic, the Ghose Commission report will not stand legal scrutiny,” he argued.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy blamed the previous BRS government for impounding water at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, which eventually led to the collapse of Medigadda piers. He explained that barrages are meant only to regulate water flow, not to store large volumes.
“They should not hold more than 3 tmcft, as is the case with the Dowlaiswaram barrage in Andhra Pradesh. But the BRS ignored this principle, leading to structural damage,” he said.
Calling it a “sad day for Telangana,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said he was deeply disturbed to table the report, which “graphically exposed how people’s money was looted in the name of the Kaleshwaram project.”
He pointed out that the barrages have remained useless for the last 20 months, with no water being impounded following advice from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
Experts from WAPCOS had already advised against constructing the barrage at Medigadda, but the BRS ignored their advice and went ahead.
The Minister said the BRS had abandoned the Pranahita-Chevella project, which would have cost around ₹36,000 crore, and instead built the Kaleshwaram Project at a staggering cost of ₹1.47 lakh crore.
In return, the project lifted only 114 tmcft of water in five years – about 20.2 tmcft per year. Despite spending over one lakh crore rupees, the project irrigated less than two lakh acres, he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
