When in the Opposition, the Congress was vocal about the various alleged scams in Telangana. After assuming power, it ordered probes — but not even one has been completed.
Published Sep 18, 2024 | 12:30 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 18, 2024 | 12:30 PM
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and BRS supremo KCR
Investigations into a few scams that allegedly took place during the BRS reign seem to have lost steam in Telangana.
The Congress in Opposition used to go for the BRS’ jugular over the alleged misappropriation of thousands of crores of rupees in the execution of projects, rollout of welfare schemes, and ‘snatching’ land using Dharani, Telangana’s integrated land records management system.
After assuming power, the A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government announced judicial probes into the alleged scams with much fanfare. The scams included those about the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIS), irregularities in the purchase of power from Chhattisgarh, and the setting up of Yadadri and Bhadradri power plants.
Additionally, the government also announced its plan to set up a committee to revamp Dharani, launch a probe into the alleged sheep distribution scam, and investigate charges of tapping the phones of Opposition leaders under the BRS rule.
South First takes a look at the various scams that are being probed.
Justice (Retd) Pinaki Chandra Ghose was appointed the commission to probe the alleged irregularities in the ₹81,911 crore KLIS, a multi-purpose, multi-stage irrigation project on the River Godavari. Formed on 24 April 2024, the commission is expected to submit its report by 31 October 2024.
In October last, four years after commissioning, six of the 36 piers of the Medigadda barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district sank 1.2 metres along with the raft (foundation) on which they were constructed. After assuming power, Congress announced in the state Assembly a judicial probe into the alleged irregularities in the construction of all three major components of the KLIS project, viz., Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram.
Justice Ghose visited Medigadda barrage as part of the inquiry and the probe is continuing. As the deadline for submitting the report draws closer, the state is curious to know its findings.
The commission’s terms of reference were to examine the awarding of tenders and execution of the KLIS, look into any negligence that could have taken place in the operation and maintenance of gates, quality control, possible occurrence of malpractices by the Department of Irrigation and the contractors.
Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy at Medigadda Barrage. (X)
The deadline for the commission to submit its report was July but was later extended to October-end. The Vigilance and Enforcement Department of the state government conducted an independent inquiry into the sinking of the piers and submitted a report to the state government.
The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), after inspection of the Medigadda piers, said that failure in planning, design, quality control, and maintenance had led to the fiasco. The NDSA added that the sand underneath the piers, eroded over some time, leading to their collapse. The NSDA recommended the restoration of the damaged Block No. 7 which at present is useless.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India reported that there was a possibility of KLIS contractors drawing undue benefits to the tune of ₹2,684 crore. The report further augmented the argument that KLIS has become a “blot on Telangana’s identity.” The CAG report was tabled in the Assembly on 15 February.
Justice (Retd) Madan B Lokur is probing the power sector scam after his predecessor Justice L Narasimha Reddy demitted office on a Supreme Court directive to the state government.
The apex court gave the directive based on a petition the BRS had filed. The BRS argues that Narasimha Reddy had expressed his opinion on the outcome without completing the inquiry. BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao even requested the court to declare the constitution of the commission illegal since it cannot review the decisions of the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission, a judicial body.
The terms of reference of the commission included a review of the 1,000 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Chhattisgarh Power Distribution Company. The commission was asked to examine the delay and the subsequent suspension of the supply of power from Chhattisgarh.
The commission has been looking into why sub-critical technology was preferred to super-critical technology in the construction of the 4×270 MW Bhadradri Thermal Power Station. It was alleged that the decision to opt for super-critical technology hiked the project cost and created environmental issues.
Yadadri power plant under construction.
Alleged irregularities in the construction of 5×800 MW Yadadri Thermal Power Station, awarding of the contract to BHEL on a nomination basis without calling for tenders, officials’ role after the formation of Telangana in 2014, too, were being probed.
The state government, on 21 December 2023, ordered the judicial inquiry after suspecting corruption in the power purchase agreement with power generators in Chhattisgarh and irregularities in the construction of Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power plants during the BRS rule.
It has been alleged that the former BRS government had signed a PPA with Chhattisgarh for the purchase of 1,000 MW power without inviting tenders. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, while announcing the inquiry in the Assembly, alleged that it had placed a ₹1,362-crore burden on the state.
Allegations were levelled against the previous BRS dispensation that it had tapped of phones of Opposition leaders. The probe initially showed a lot of promise but has apparently hit a roadblock.
The new Police Commissioner of Hyderabad, CV Anand, said the probe would be expedited but it remains to be seen how soon he would take it to its logical end.
The investigation made waves with the police arresting senior police officers, including former deputy commissioner of police P Radhakrishna Rao. The officers were accused of tapping the phones of Opposition party leaders to obtain and convey political intelligence to their political bosses.
They were also accused of extorting money from businessmen using the information they got by tapping their phones. It was also alleged that they destroyed the evidence after the government changed.
Investigators have recorded the reported confessions of the officers but they might not stand legal scrutiny. The confessions pointed at the destruction of about 50 hard disks on 3 December 2023, the day on which the Assembly election results were announced.
Police have arraigned former State Intelligence Bureau chief T Prabhakar Rao as the main accused but he had left for the US before investigators could catch up with him. Two senior police officers, Additional DCP Thirupathanna and Additional SP Bhujanga Rao were arrested, besides a few junior officers.
Lookout circulars have been issued against Prabhakar Rao and two others to identify the “bosses” for whom the phones were tapped.
The investigation began on 12 March with the arrest of DSP D Praneeth Kumar from his residence in Sircilla. Kumar reportedly confessed to the crime and was remanded in judicial custody at the Chanchalguda prison in Hyderabad.
The remand report said that three cell phones and one laptop were seized from Kumar. He has been accused of removal of evidence, destruction of public property, and tampering with electronic evidence.
The next major development in the case came on 23 March with the arrest of two senior officers: Additional DCP, City Security Wing (CSW) Thirupathanna, who had worked as Additional SP, SIB, and N Bhujanga Rao, Additional SP, Bhupalpally, previously additional SP, Intelligence.
In parts, the sheep distribution scam resembled Bihar’s fodder controversy that ended Lalu Prasad Yadav’s reign as the chief minister. It was then alleged that full-grown buffalos were transferred to the vet on mopeds.
The sheep distribution scam is at times comical.
Telangana went further ahead when the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) indicted the previous BRS government in the sheep scam in its February 2024 report. The CAG pointed out several farcical instances in the scam, like an ambulance making a single trip to transport 84 sheep in Khammam.
More cartoonish details followed. As many as 126 sheep rode a two-wheeler together, 168 sheep took a cab in Mahbubnagar, and an autorickshaw in Nalgonda ferried 126 sheep, the CAG reported.
Ever since the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) began its probe into the alleged ₹700 crore sheep scam, some BRS leaders, who were part of the previous government, have been left squirming.
The ACB initially assessed the scam was only about ₹2.1 crore. However, as the investigation progressed, the sleuths found that it had wider ramifications and its size could be as big as ₹700 crore.
The CAG reported that the size of the scam in seven districts could be ₹253 crore. It was before the ACB investigation.
Apart from the ACB probe, the Enforcement Directorate, too, has chipped in. It has written to the Managing Director of Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation Ltd (TSSGDCFL), seeking information on the Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDC) in the state.
The then-BRS government launched the first phase of the sheep distribution scheme in 2015. It said it had provided sheep to 4.5 lakh beneficiaries. The budget allocation for both phases was ₹6,000 crore. The second phase of the scheme was suspended a few days after launch due to a paucity of funds.
The inquiry into the alleged irregularities committed using Dharani — Telangana’s integrated land records management system —
has finally seen some action.
The state government recently introduced an amendment to the Telangana Rights in Land and Patttadar Passbooks Act, 2020, often referred to as the ROR Act. The Dharani portal was created under this act. It was a platform to maintain and access land records electronically.
After the Congress assumed power, it constituted a committee in February to inquire into the management of the Dharani portal. In its interim report to the chief minister, the committee listed several flaws.
The Dharani committee briefed the chief minister on deficiencies in the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Act, 2020. It highlighted hasty land surveys conducted by the previous BRS government, resulting in disputes and litigations due to errors in land records.
It said that a lack of coordination between the registration and revenue departments allowed land transactions in the restricted category, leading to potential misuse of Rythu Bandhu funds credited to ineligible recipients. The committee advocated either amending the existing act or introducing a new one to address these issues.
The bill introduced in the Assembly sought to replace Dharani with the Bhumata portal, to provide a more transparent and efficient system for maintaining land records.
It provides for the Bhudhar system under which each parcel of land will be assigned a unique number, like Aadhaar. The numbers would help in identifying land parcels and their owners.
The Amendment also proposed the setting up of land tribunals — at mandal, revenue division, and district levels — and an appellate authority to resolve land disputes.
It also aimed at making the process of mutations and regularisation of land transactions of sada bainamas — sale/purchase agreements of land recorded on plain paper. The bill also envisaged to empower revenue officials to make corrections in records.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
