In a significant development, the former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been summoned to appear before a judicial commission probing the alleged irregularities in the construction of barrages under the prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) undertaken during his regime.
Justice PC Ghose, a retired Supreme Court judge heading the inquiry commission, has directed KCR to appear on June 5 to present his version on the irregularities that allegedly took place in the construction of Kaleshwaram project, a flagship initiative of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.
The judicial commission also issued notices to senior BRS legislator and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, who is KCR’s nephew, and former finance minister and present BJP MP Etela Rajender, asking them to appear for questioning on June 6 and June 9 respectively.
Several senior engineers and officials deposed before the commission that key decisions related to the project were made in the presence of KCR and were implemented under his directives.
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“In the light of these statements, the commission now seeks to record the views of KCR, Harish Rao, and Rajender,” the sources said.
The commission is examining the design, construction, and operational aspects of major barrages built as part of the KLIP — particularly Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla — following reports of structural issues. The Medigadda barrage, which reportedly showed signs of sinking during October 2023 floods, prompted the Telangana government to appoint the inquiry commission in March 2024.
The scope of the commission includes reviewing construction quality, design flaws, maintenance lapses, and accountability in financial and administrative oversight.
The commission already interrogated high-ranking officials from the irrigation and finance departments, as well as representatives of the construction companies involved in the project and has to submit a report by the end of May.
It has so far been granted seven extensions, with the latest one extending its tenure by a month.
BRS leader and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha said the notices to her father for questioning were “part of a calculated political conspiracy to tarnish his image”.
Taking to X, Kavitha said: “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.”
She said 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. KCR garu has devoted his life to Telangana, transforming barren lands into fields of prosperity, and is now being targeted by a visionless regime,” she posted on X.
She added: “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.”
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