The notices have triggered unease within BRS circles, as they had been under the impression that the commission would not summon KCR and Harish Rao before concluding its inquiry.
Published May 20, 2025 | 10:33 PM ⚊ Updated May 21, 2025 | 8:36 AM
BRS MLC and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha accused the Congress government of pursuing a political vendetta under the guise of investigation.
Synopsis: Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and senior BRS leaders T Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender have been summoned by the Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission to record their statements over alleged irregularities in the ₹1.47 lakh crore Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The move has stirred tension within BRS circles, with BRS MLC K Kavitha alleging that the inquiry is a ‘calculated political conspiracy’ to tarnish KCR’s legacy.
The Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose commission, appointed to probe alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), has summoned former Telangana chief minister and BRS President K Chandrashekar Rao to appear before it on 5 June.
The commission has also issued notices to former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and former finance minister Eatala Rajender, asking them to appear on 6 June and 9 June, respectively, to record their statements.
The notices have triggered unease within BRS circles, as they had been under the impression that the commission would not summon KCR and Harish Rao before concluding its inquiry.
Harish Rao reportedly held an extended closed-door meeting with KCR at the latter’s farmhouse soon after the notices were issued, to discuss the political and legal implications of the summons and whether to comply with the notice or pursue legal recourse instead.
Reacting sharply to the summons, BRS MLC and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha accused the Congress government of pursuing a political vendetta under the guise of investigation.
“The notices to KCR Garu over the Kaleshwaram project are part of a calculated political conspiracy to tarnish the image of a true people’s leader. Kaleshwaram was built for the welfare of farmers and future generations, not for politics. Today, this inefficient Congress government is undoing the very progress Telangana fought for,” she wrote on X.
“KCR Garu has devoted his life to Telangana, transforming barren lands into fields of prosperity, is now being targeted by a visionless regime. No vindictive Govt can diminish his legacy. The truth will prevail, and history will remember who stood for the people and who tried to bring them down.”
The commission was set up by the Congress-led government under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in March 2024, following the collapse of the Medigadda barrage and suspected structural weaknesses in the remaining two barrages at Annaram and Sundilla.
The three barrages form an integral part of the KLIS, touted as the world’s largest lift irrigation initiative. The project involves a vast network of barrages, canals, and high-capacity pumps designed to lift water from the Godavari river and irrigate drought-prone areas across Telangana.
However, the project, which reportedly cost over ₹1.47 lakh crore, has come under scrutiny for both its price tag and its engineering failures.
The commission has been tasked with assessing the reasons for the project’s high costs, structural deficiencies, and the burden placed on Telangana’s finances due to loans taken to fund the initiative.
Since its formation, the commission has recorded depositions from officials across departments – including irrigation, finance, design, quality control, and project maintenance. Its tenure has been extended seven times, with the latest extension pushing its deadline to the end of July 2025.
There had been speculation that the commission would submit its final report to the state government by 21 or 22 May, given that its prior term was due to end this month.
However, the extension has enabled it to summon three key political figures directly linked to the planning and execution of the project.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
