Hyderabad, April 22: The Telangana High Court has granted significant relief to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and former minister T. Harish Rao. The court has prohibited the state government from taking any action against them and two other petitioners based on the report of Justice P.C. Ghosh’s commission, which investigated alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The High Court found that the Ghosh Commission did not adhere to the procedures outlined in the Commission of Inquiry Act.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice G. Mohiuddin delivered the order on Wednesday regarding a group of writ petitions filed by KCR, retired IAS officer Harish Rao, former Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, and serving IAS officer Smita Sabharwal, challenging the commission’s report.
The petitioners sought the annulment of the commission’s report and requested a directive to dismiss it. They also contested the formation of the commission; however, the court acknowledged that the government has the authority to establish such a commission. Nevertheless, a lawyer indicated that the court determined that the commission’s findings could not serve as a basis for any action against the petitioners.
During the hearing, the lawyers for the petitioners refuted the commission’s conclusions, arguing that their clients had not received mandatory notices under Sections 8B and 8C of the Commission of Inquiry Act.
After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its judgment last month. The decision, initially scheduled for April 8, was postponed to April 22.
The bench instructed the government not to initiate any punitive action against the four petitioners based on the findings of the Ghosh Commission.
Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu represented KCR, while Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy and senior advocate S. Niranjan Reddy appeared on behalf of the state government and the Ghosh Commission, respectively.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), touted as the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, was launched by the then BRS government in May 2016. The main component was inaugurated by KCR in 2019.
In March 2024, the Congress government established a commission led by former Supreme Court Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh to investigate alleged irregularities in the planning, design, construction, quality control, operation, and maintenance of the Kaleshwaram project, specifically concerning the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundila barrages.
The commission submitted its report to the Telangana government on July 31, 2025. It held KCR directly and indirectly responsible for irregularities in the planning, implementation, completion, operation, and maintenance of the Kaleshwaram project. It also found Harish Rao, former Chief Secretary Joshi, and former Chief Minister Secretary Smita Sabharwal culpable.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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