Kaleswaram Project: Telangana High Court Stays Justice Ghosh Commission Report

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) has remained at the center of a high-stakes legal and political battle in Telangana, primarily involving the ruling Congress Party and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)—formerly known as the TRS.

The latest developments as of May 2026 revolve around the findings of the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission and a subsequent landmark ruling by the Telangana High Court.

1. The Justice P.C. Ghose Commission

In March 2024, the Congress government (led by CM Revanth Reddy) appointed Justice P.C. Ghose, a former Supreme Court judge, to investigate alleged financial and procedural irregularities in the project.

• The Report (July 2025): The 665-page report concluded that there were "grave irregularities" from conceptualization to execution.
• Indictment: The commission held former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) directly and vicariously responsible. It also indicted Harish Rao (former Irrigation Minister), identifying them as the primary decision-makers who allegedly bypassed expert warnings.
• Key Findings: The report highlighted cost escalations (from ₹38,500 crore to over ₹1.10 lakh crore) and blamed flawed design for the structural failure of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages.

2. High Court Verdict (April 22, 2026)

Following the report, KCR, Harish Rao, and senior officials (like Smitha Sabharwal and S.K. Joshi) filed petitions challenging the commission’s findings.

• The Ruling: The Telangana High Court delivered a significant "split" verdict:
  • The Win for Congress: The court upheld the legality of forming the Commission, stating the government had the right to investigate the project.
  • The Win for BRS: Crucially, the court declared the commission's findings against KCR and others "inoperative." It ruled that the commission violated the principles of natural justice (Section 8B of the Commissions of Inquiry Act) by not giving the accused a fair chance to cross-examine witnesses or respond properly to adverse remarks.
• Outcome: The court ordered that no coercive action can be taken against KCR or Harish Rao based solely on this report.

3. Political Implications

• BRS Perspective: K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and Harish Rao hailed the judgment as a "slap in the face" to the Congress government, accusing them of a political vendetta. They maintain that the project is the lifeline of Telangana and that the sinking of piers at Medigadda was a repairable technical issue, not a result of corruption.
• Congress Perspective: Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that the stay on the report is not a "clean bill of health." He emphasized that the court validated the commission's existence and that other investigations (by the National Dam Safety Authority and Vigilance Commission) still point toward structural and financial mismanagement.

Summary Table: Current Status