Hyderabad: Former Telangana Minister and BJP MP Eatala Rajender on Friday appeared before Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
Rajender, who had served as the finance minister in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government between 2014 and 2019, appeared before the Commission at BRK Bhavan. The Commission was examining him as part of its investigation into the alleged irregularities in the project built across the Godavari River at a cost of over Rs one lakh crore.
Rajender is likely to be questioned about the decisions taken in the Cabinet for the construction of the project and the release of funds. He had served as health minister in the second term of BRS but resigned from the party and joined the BJP in 2021 after then-Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) dropped him from the Cabinet over allegations of land grabbing.
The Ghose Commission has also summoned KCR and former Minister T. Harish Rao. KCR was issued notice on May 20, directing him to appear on June 5. The BRS chief, however, requested the Commission to postpone his appearance to June 11.
Harish Rao, who was the irrigation minister between 2014 and 2019, is scheduled to appear before the Commission on June 9. The Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose, is probing the alleged irregularities in planning, design, construction, quality control, operation and maintenance of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.
The one-man Commission was constituted in March 2024, a few months after some piers of the Medigadda Barrage caved in. The term of the Commission has been extended repeatedly for seven times so far after its initial term ended on June 30, 2024.
Notices to KCR, Harish Rao and Rajender were issued a day after the state government extended the Commission’s term for two more months, till July 31, to enable it to complete the examination of all those involved. The Commission has, so far, examined over 100 engineers, retired and serving officials associated with the barrages and others.
Most of the engineers examined by the Commission either admitted to lapses in the procedures or expressed ignorance about decision-making. The Commission examined various documents, including the final report of the National Dam Safety Authority, the Vigilance report and other files. The panel was expected to submit its report to the government on May 21 or 22.
However, the Commission decided to examine KCR, Harish Rao and Rajender as most of the engineers and officials who deposed before it stated that the decisions were taken in the presence of the then chief minister and that they acted on the CM’s and ministers’ orders.
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