Kaleshwaram Barrages Public Hearings Resume

Hyderabad: The Justice P.C. Ghose-led commission of inquiry (CoI) into the construction and maintenance of the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS), and the damage they suffered last year, will resume its cross-examination of witnesses as part of its public hearings from Tuesday.

The commission is also expected to study the vigilance and enforcement (V&E) wing’s report. On Monday, the V&E director-general K. Srinivas Reddy met Justice Ghose. It is learnt that they discussed issues surrounding the vigilance probe. It may be recalled that the commission has already sought a final report from V&E, and from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on the barrages.

Beginning Tuesday, Justice Ghose is expected to resume the cross-examination of some witnesses who deposed earlier, along with irrigation department officials and bureaucrats posted in the irrigation department during the planning, construction and later stages of the barrages’ functioning. It is also likely that representatives of the construction companies will be asked to attend the hearing.

In the final phase of the public hearings, the commission is expected to summon political leaders from the previous BRS regime who were involved in the decision-making process of the Kaleshwaram project.

The term of the commission is set to expire at the end of October and it is expected that the state government could extend it by another two months. The CoI’s term has already been extended twice so far.