Tamilisai Soundararajan directs ACB to probe Kaleshwaram

Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan said that she had referred the Congress’ representation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of corruption in execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project to the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Speaking exclusively to Deccan Chronicle on the eve of completing 100 days of her taking over the office, she said that whatever representations were received by the Raj Bhavan were immediately referred to the departments concerned.

When questioned why the representation was referred to the ACB when the Congress sou-ght CBI probe into the Kaleshwa-ram project, the first lady Governor of Telangana said that it was because she was aware of the limitations of her authority. She said, “the allegations come up after the Kaleshwaram project was completed. So I wanted to visit the project.”

“Everyone told me to go to the Kaleshwaram site in a helicopter but I refused, and took a car ride so I could see the people en route. I saw the lifting and tunneling works — it was really an engineering marvel. My concern was the project should be useful. Everyone is concerned about the cost. As a state which has created such a grand project, it should be appreciated. I feel it should prove beneficial to people for whom it has been created.”

She, however, said that the state government must ensure corruption-free governance. “We have to look into it. It is a grand project. When Sardar Patel statue was erected, it was lauded more than even the Statue of Liberty in the US. I really appreciate the state government for building Kaleshwaram project and the Centre for creating the Patel statue.”