Telangana's Kaleshwaram Project Probed: Summons Issued Amid Controversy

In a significant development, Justice PC Ghosh Commission has issued summons to former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), former Minister Harish Rao, and BJP MP Etela Rajender. These leaders are to appear for questioning regarding alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), sources have confirmed.

The ongoing investigation by the Commission centers on financial and procedural lapses in the multi-crore project, obligating the aforementioned leaders to respond in early June. Specifically, KCR is set to face questions on June 5, followed by Harish Rao on June 6, and Etela Rajender on June 9, regarding their roles and decisions concerning the project's execution.

Meanwhile, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, has put the previous BRS government at fault for the current project's failures. He labeled it as the biggest man-made disaster since Independence, placing a crushing financial load on Telangana citizens, with Rs 16,000 crore annual repayments, and impacting state credibility and farmers' livelihoods.

(With inputs from agencies.)