Hyderabad: The Ghosh Commission has squarely blamed the Kaleshwaram project collapse on unilateral decisions by the former Chief Minister and senior ministers, citing grave financial, technical, and administrative lapses in a report tabled after the state cabinet meeting.
Addressing the media, Deputy Chief Minister said the Commission found the ₹1 lakh crore irrigation project once billed as Telangana’s lifeline was derailed by personal interventions and political interference from the planning stage through construction and management.
An independent panel led by P.C. Ghosh reviewed testimonies from the former Chief Minister, Irrigation Minister, and Finance Minister before submitting its findings. The government insisted the report’s revelations were factual, not political.
According to the Commission, the decision to construct the Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages was never endorsed by the Cabinet and originated solely from the then Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister. No formal government resolution backed the move.
The Commission also dismissed former Finance Minister Etela Rajender’s claim that the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s recommendation had Cabinet approval. It accused him of misrepresenting facts and showing lack of diligence in protecting the state’s fiscal interests.
The panel noted that for the revised designs of Annaram and Sundilla, no backwater modelling or geophysical testing had been undertaken. Instead, designs were finalised without site surveys and were marred by unexplained delays.
Assertions that Tummidi Hatti lacked water were also deemed misleading. A retired expert engineers committee flagged the change of barrage location as unjustified.
The Ghosh Commission concluded the Kaleshwaram project suffered massive losses due to individual decision-making, lack of institutional checks, and failure of financial and technical governance.
