Telangana govt to order judicial probe into alleged corruption in Kaleshwaram project

The Telangana Government on Tuesday has placed an order to initiate a judicial enquiry in the alleged Kaleshwaram project scam. The congress leaders slammed the BJP over their silence when the project cost appreciated from Rs 80,000 crore to 1.27 lakh crore. The project was carried out without due diligence as alleged by Telangana Minister.

Hyderabad:The Telangana government on Tuesday said that it would order a judicial inquiry into the alleged corruption in Kaleshwaram project this week after the BJP raised the issue. Earlier in the day, Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy sought to know why Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hadn't written a letter to the Centre seeking a CBI inquiry on alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram project in the state.

Responding to the BJP president's remarks, Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said, "We are committed under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to give a transparent government. A judicial inquiry will be ordered this week and the guilty will not be spared." Addressing a press conference, he refuted the allegations made by Kishan Reddy against the Congress government about the Kaleshwaram project, asserting that they were far from reality.

He accused the BJP state president of attempting to mislead the public by levelling baseless allegations against the Congress. "The Congress government is committed to ordering a probe. The judicial inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project would commence this week, and those found guilty would not be spared," he said. Ridiculing Kishan Reddy's allegations, the minister questioned the BJP leaders' inaction during the previous 10 years when the Kaleshwaram project 'scam' occurred under the then BRS rule.

He claimed that the Union government not only helped the BRS government secure significant loans from Central agencies and banks but also turned a blind eye to the extensive "corruption and irregularities" in the Kaleshwaram project. Citing instances, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Power Finance Corporation, a Central agency for funding the power sector, amended its Memorandum of Articles to provide a loan of Rs 1.20 lakh crore to the Kaleshwaram project. Similarly, the Rural Electrification Corporation, established solely for electrification-related issues, arranged a loan of Rs 60,000 crore for the project.

He criticised the BJP leaders for their silence when the project cost escalated from Rs 80,000 crore, as approved by the Central Working Commission, to a whopping Rs 1.27 lakh crore. The redesigning and re-engineering of the Kaleshwaram project went unquestioned, with no due diligence by the BJP government at the Centre, the Telangana minister alleged.

He further hit out at BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP president J P Nadda for speaking about the Kaleshwaram scam without initiating any inquiry by the CBI. Earlier, speaking to reporters here, Kishan Reddy sought to know why Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hadn't written a letter to the Centre seeking a CBI inquiry on alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram project in the state.

The BJP leader wondered if there is any "tacit" understanding between the Congress government in the state and the BRS party on the issue, through mediation of AIMIM. "When in Opposition, the Congress leaders demanded a CBI inquiry into the issue. Today, why is the chief minister (Revanth Reddy) not writing a letter to the Centre seeking a CBI probe? Does the Congress government sincerely want an inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project or not? Do they want the culprits to be punished or not?" Kishan Reddy asked.

"I want to know whether the chief minister has any sincerity. The biggest scam of the BRS government was the Kaleshwaram project. Are you willing to order a CBI inquiry? Would you write a letter (to Centre)," the Telangana BJP chief asked.During the assembly polls (last year), the Congress claimed that if voted to power, it would order an inquiry on "corruption" deeds including projects undertaken by the then BRS government, he said.

The previous government claimed the Kaleshwaram project as an engineering marvel and the largest lift irrigation project. They also said that concrete used in the project was equivalent to that of seven 'Burj Khalifa' in Dubai and steel was equivalent to that of 15 'Eiffel Tower' in Paris, Kishan Reddy said. The piers of the Medigadda barrage of the mega Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme 'sinking' shook the state in October 2023 as it snowballed into a major controversy and a key election issue. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) had found that the barrage was severely compromised, rendering it useless unless fully rehabilitated.

Kishan Reddy asked what the future of Kaleshwaram project and the Rs one lakh crore spent on it. The Medigadda barrage was a lifeline to the Kaleshwaram project, he said, adding that the NDSA also visited it and highlighted some of the key issues of the project. They sought some more details from the state government. However, replies were given to only 11 of the 20 issues, the BJP leader said.

"Why is the Congress government dilly-dallying on the corruption involved in the construction of the project? Will they accept NDSA suggestions? When they (Congress) were in opposition, Revanth Reddy wanted to know what the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were doing. Now there is a necessity to spell out the state government's stand on the issue," he said. Earlier, when the BJP demanded an inquiry, the then Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao did not approve the CBI probe, Kishan Reddy said.

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