Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) appeared before the Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission on Wednesday, addressing allegations of irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). The high-profile inquiry, probing the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, saw KCR arrive at Burgula Ramakrishna Rao (BRKR) Bhavan in Hyderabad with a massive convoy of party leaders and supporters, amid tight police security.
The commission, constituted in March 2024 following structural failures at the Medigadda barrage, had summoned KCR, along with former ministers T. Harish Rao and Etala Rajender, to record their statements. KCR, who held the irrigation portfolio from 2018 to 2023, defended the project, emphasizing its approval by the Telangana Cabinet and its transparency. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao called the inquiry a “political conspiracy” by the Congress and BJP to tarnish KCR’s legacy, hailing the project’s scale as a historic achievement.
The hearing drew significant attention, with senior BRS leaders, including Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Vemula Prashant Reddy, present in solidarity. The commission’s term, extended to July 31, 2025, continues to investigate alleged financial and procedural lapses. KCR’s appearance follows Harish Rao’s deposition on June 9 and Etala Rajender’s on June 6, intensifying political tensions in Telangana. The outcome of the probe is expected to impact the state’s political landscape significantly
