A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking investigation into different aspects of Kaleshwaram project, including spending of over ₹86,000 crore and damage of its barrage at Medigadda, has been filed in Telangana High Court.
The PIL plea, which is yet to be numbered and under the scrutiny of the HC Registry, was filed by senior vice-president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee G. Niranjan. Among the different reliefs sought by the petitioner was a direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to investigate into the activities of Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project Corporation Limited which had procured loans of ₹86,064.01 crore from different public sector banks and financial institution for executing the project.
Mr. Niranjan contended that he had filed complaints with the Election Commissioner of India, President of India and Telangana Governor about irregularities by the previous government of BRS party in execution of the projects. The ECI forwarded the complaint to the Chief Secretary on November 7, he said.
The petitioner said that he had approached the Delhi HC for action over the representations he had made to the ECI, the President and the Governor. The Delhi HC through an order on November 21 granted liberty to approach the Telangana HC, he stated in the PIL petition.
According to Mr. Niranjan, some piers of the project’s barrage at Medigadda got damaged and sank on October 21. Due to this, a portion of the barrage had gone down two to three feet from normal alignment. A six-member committee of the Central Government visited the damaged site during October 23 and 25.
The petitioner maintained that the committee made critical remarks about the project, including the observation that “the barrage in present condition is useless unless fully rehabilitated.” However, the then BRS government defended its stand rejecting the remarks, he stated.
Mr. Niranjan wanted the HC to pass an order transferring investigation into the criminal case registered about the damage to Medigadda barrage from Mahadevpur police of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district of Telangana police to the CBI. He also requested the HC to direct Union of India, National Dam Safety Authority, CBI, National Disaster Management Authority, SFIO and Reserve Bank of India to act upon his representations on the matter.
The PIL petition would be placed before the HC for hearing only after the Registry completes scrutiny of it.
