Telangana government tables Kaleshwaram project report and amendment bills in Assembly

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Sunday tabled the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram project in the Legislative Assembly. The report highlighted major flaws in the planning and execution of the multi-crore irrigation scheme. Officials gave MLAs copies of the report in pen drives.

At the same time, the government introduced the Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill and another bill on private allopathic medical care establishments.

Minister D. Sridhar Babu said the Assembly is already debating the 2019 Municipal Act amendment bill, so there is no need for an ordinance. He explained that the amendment seeks to provide 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes in the upcoming local body elections.

Kaleshwaram project report points to major lapses

The Justice P.C. Ghose Commission found serious problems in the design and construction of three key barrages. It listed errors in project planning, lapses in administrative approvals, and irregularities in estimate clearances. The report also stressed that Central Water Commission approvals remained incomplete or poorly handled.

Experts argued that building a barrage at Medigadda had no justification. They rejected the claim that water scarcity at Tummidihatti required the Medigadda construction. Instead, the report stated that the Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages came up only because then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao made that decision.

Furthermore, the report flagged irregularities in contract awards. It revealed that project estimates were cleared without fully reviewing the Detailed Project Reports. It concluded that estimate relaxations were designed to favour contractors.