The judicial commission headed by retired Supreme Court judge justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on Wednesday began its probe into the alleged irregularities in the construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme on Godavari river in Telangana, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Justice Ghose, who landed in the city, assumed charge at his designated office on the eighth floor of BRKR Bhavan near the Secretariat. He held a preliminary round of talks with the officials and engineers of the state irrigation department to understand the gravity of the situation and record their version on the damages caused to Medigadda barrage on October 22 last year, said the people.
Justice Ghose will visit Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project from April 25 to 27 and interact with the officials of the project and the implementation agencies as part of its probe, said one of the people quoted above.
The Telangana government had ordered a judicial inquiry into the sinking of piers of Medigadda barrage and leakages in Sundilla and Annaram barrages. The government also urged the commission to look into the financial aspect of the project and technical flaws, if any, like designs, planning and execution in the irrigation project.
“The judicial commission is expected to complete the investigation within 100 days as the time frame fixed by the state cabinet,” state irrigation minister Captain N Uttam Kumar Reddy said. Meanwhile, a senior official of the irrigation department said the state government is awaiting directions from the National Dam Safety Authority on carrying out repairs on Medigadda barrage so as to store the water in the barrage for meeting the irrigation requirement of Telangana.
{{/usCountry}}“The judicial commission is expected to complete the investigation within 100 days as the time frame fixed by the state cabinet,” state irrigation minister Captain N Uttam Kumar Reddy said. Meanwhile, a senior official of the irrigation department said the state government is awaiting directions from the National Dam Safety Authority on carrying out repairs on Medigadda barrage so as to store the water in the barrage for meeting the irrigation requirement of Telangana.
{{/usCountry}}It wrote to the NDSA last week, seeking suggestions on restoration of three piers that had sunk without causing damage to the remaining portion of the barrage. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) panel, which is investigating the factors that resulted in the structural issues noticed in the barrage, visited the project twice in the past one month and its report is expected only by June end, the official added.
“The state government had requested that an interim report be provided within a month. We are expecting a preliminary report by this weekend and depending on the report, the state government will decide on carrying out repairs,” the official added.