In a significant development, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday deferred its judgment on writ petitions against the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission’s report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project until April 22. This delay underscores the complexity of the high-stakes legal battle gripping the state.
The petitions, moved by former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, ex-minister T. Harish Rao, ex-chief secretary S.K. Joshi, and IAS officer Smita Sabharwal, seek to quash the commission’s findings on alleged flaws in the project’s design, construction, and operations.
Hailed as a global engineering marvel when initiated by BRS in 2016, Kaleshwaram faced scrutiny after the Congress government appointed retired Supreme Court judge P.C. Ghose in March 2024 to investigate failures at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.
The commission’s July 2024 report pinned responsibility on KCR and associates for irregularities across planning to maintenance. Petitioners counter that the probe violated natural justice principles, lacking mandatory notices and opportunity to respond.
During hearings, the bench of Chief Justice Apares Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin heard detailed submissions. KCR’s counsel, senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, highlighted procedural lapses, opposed by state representatives A. Sudarshan Reddy and S. Niranjan Reddy.
Orders reserved last month weren’t ready, prompting the postponement. The court also prolonged its interim order barring actions against the four based on the report.
This saga reflects deepening political divides. BRS touts Kaleshwaram as a water revolution; critics decry it as a costly fiasco nearing Rs 1 lakh crore. The April 22 hearing promises clarity on accountability, potentially influencing Telangana’s irrigation future and leadership legacies.
