Intentional suppression of Expert Committee reports against Medigadda Barrage, dishonesty in shifting the water source point from Tummidihatti, abnormal escalation of the project costs, awarding of contracts on a lump sum basis, and hiding the decisions from the Cabinet pointed the fingers of ‘criminality’ towards former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao by the PC Ghose Commission on the Kaleshwaram project.
The Commission of Inquiry, led by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, held the then Chief Minister KCR primarily accountable for bypassing established procedures and ignoring expert advice, resulting in colossal public expenditure and infrastructure now in distress.
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The Commission held KCR directly accountable for the irregularities and his involvement and directions minutely were the cause and result of the irregularities and the cause of distress to these three barrages. The then Minister for Irrigation T. Harish Rao, intentionally ignored the Expert Committee report while the then Finance Minister Eatala Rajender demonstrated lack of integrity in safeguarding the financial and economic health of Telangana, the report said.
Key IAS officers S.K.Joshi, then Principal Secretary to Government on Irrigation should be held liable for suppressing the Expert Committee Report and violating rules in administrative approvals while Smita Sabharwal, Secretary to Chief Minister was irresponsible in the discharge of her duties, the report said.
