KCR
Hyderabad: Former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao have separately filed petitions in the Telangana High Court, seeking quashing of the Justice PC Ghosh Commission’s report on alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram project barrages.
The petitions challenge the Government Order (GO 6), issued on March 14, 2024, which had constituted the inquiry commission to probe into the construction of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
The government’s chief secretary, the principal secretary of Irrigation, and Justice PC Ghosh have been named as respondents. The petitions are currently under scrutiny by the High Court registry.
In their submissions, the petitioners claimed that the commission was set up with the “sole intention of discrediting the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government without any reliable evidence.”
They alleged that the report was politically motivated, prepared in violation of statutory provisions, and designed to bring disrepute to their governance record between 2014 and 2023.
Defending the Kaleshwaram project, the petitioners asserted that construction was carried out in accordance with all rules and regulations.
They argued that the Congress party, which is now in power, had opposed the project even while in opposition and used it as a campaign tool in elections.
They further pointed out that the sinking of a pier at Medigadda occurred due to unforeseen reasons, without any connection to design or engineering faults.
The petitioners alleged procedural violations, stating that under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, inquiry panels could only establish factual findings but not deliver judicial verdicts or assign culpability. They maintained that the Ghosh Commission overstepped its mandate by producing conclusions that affected their reputation.
They further complained that they were summoned as witnesses without being given an opportunity to cross-examine or question the evidence used against them. This, they argued, was a violation of principles of natural justice.
The petitions also criticised the government for releasing details of the commission’s report to the media before furnishing copies to them, accusing it of a deliberate attempt to tarnish their public image.
The petitioners urged the High Court to annul the report, branding it as “biased, predetermined, and damaging to their personal and political reputation.”
They contended that the timing of the report’s release and its use in the government’s public presentations demonstrated a political agenda behind the inquiry.
This post was last modified on August 20, 2025 1:24 pm