Over 15 months, the Commission investigated irregularities in the construction of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.
Published Aug 29, 2025 | 11:09 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 29, 2025 | 11:09 AM
Gandhi statue in front of the Telangana Assembly building. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The Telangana Assembly session, commencing on 30 August, is likely to focus on the report of the Justice PC Ghose Commission, which probed the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The 665-page report was submitted to the government on 31 July and has sparked legal and political tensions.
The Telangana Assembly session, commencing on Saturday, 30 August, is likely to be a stormy one. The main focus will be on the report of the Justice PC Ghose Commission, which probed the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).
On the first day, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy is likely to table the report. Discussions are expected to begin on 1 September. The State Cabinet had already reviewed the report on 4 August 2025.
The Opposition BRS is preparing its defence and wants to make a presentation. That request may be denied. Sources say BRS chief and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao — popularly known as KCR — may not attend the session, leaving Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao to take the lead.
The BJP is also set to participate, focusing on alleged mismanagement. The Majlis-e-Ittehad Muslimeen’s stance, now aligned with the Congress, will be closely watched. The debate’s outcome and the government’s next move remain key points of interest.
The 665-page report was submitted to the government on 31 July and has sparked legal and political tensions. KCR and Harish Rao, the former irrigation minister, have already challenged its findings in the Telangana High Court.
KLIS was a flagship project of the BRS government. It aimed to irrigate arid regions of Telangana by lifting water from the Godavari River through barrages, pumps, and canals.
The project cost more than ₹1.1 lakh crore, but structural failures, including the sinking of piers at the Medigadda barrage in October 2023, led to questions about its planning, design, and execution.
The commission was formed on 14 March 2024, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice PC Ghose. Over 15 months, it investigated irregularities in the construction of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages. It examined more than 110 stakeholders.
The report held KCR directly and vicariously responsible for irregularities in planning, execution, operation, and maintenance. It said he took unilateral decisions without Cabinet approval, bypassing government business rules.
It also found that KCR and Harish Rao had suppressed an expert committee report in 2015. The report had advised against the Medigadda barrage, citing high costs and delays. It recommended Vemanapally instead.
The commission noted that the barrages were built on permeable foundations, ignoring geotechnical studies. Water was stored beyond design capacity, which caused structural distress.
KCR and Harish Rao filed separate writ petitions in the High Court on 19 August, seeking to quash the report, arguing it violated the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.
They claimed the commission failed to issue notices under Sections 8B and 8C, which denied them a chance to defend themselves. KCR said the report was politically motivated, defamatory, and a breach of natural justice. He pointed out that he was only summoned as a witness on 11 June. He defended the project, saying it followed procedures with Union government clearances based on WAPCOS recommendations.
Harish Rao alleged that the report was released to the media prematurely to damage their reputations. On 22 August, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin refused interim relief.
The bench cited the government’s promise to act only after an Assembly debate. It also ordered the report’s removal from public domains and adjourned the hearing for five weeks. The government had been directed to file a detailed response.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
