Telangana HC Directs Govt to Provide Information on KLIS inquiry
HYDERABAD: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar directed the state government to inform the court of the steps that were being taken with respect to the Kaleswaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) at Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.
The bench was dealing with a writ plea filed in the public interest by G. Niranjan, vice-president of the state Congress. The petitioner sought a a full-fledged inquiry by the Centre, the National Disaster Management Authority, the RBI, and National Dam Safety Authority into the activity related to the irrigation project.
The petitioner has arrayed the Serious Fraud Investigation Organisation (SFIO), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd (REC) and Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) as parties.
The petitioner pointed out that the project was built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore and over Rs 86,000 crore was raised as unsecured loans from banks and financial institutions.
Niranjan contended that the barrage was rendered useless as found by a special six-member committee headed by the National Dam Safety Authority, after the sinking of some piers at the Medigadda barrage in October last year.
He alleged that the initial inquiry was damning against the authorities and the contractors. It was specifically alleged that this was a consequence of deficient management and lapse on the operation and maintenance front.