HC to Hear KCR, Harish Rao’s Pleas on Ghose Commission Today

Fast Summary:

• The Telangana High Court questioned whether the State government would present an Action Taken Report (ATR) and the Justice P.C.Ghose Commission report on alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project too the Assembly before acting on its findings or after.
• Former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and his ex-Cabinet colleague T. Harish Rao filed writ petitions seeking to declare the Ghose Commission’s constitution as illegal and quash its report.
• Supreme Court lawyers Aryama Sundaram and Dama Seshadri Naidu argued for Harish Rao and KCR, citing procedural lapses under Section 8B of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, which allegedly vitiated the report.
• Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy stated he was unsure about whether or when both reports-the inquiry findings and ATR-would be presented to the Assembly for discussion or approval prior to action being taken.
• Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh emphasized clarity on this procedural point was a “crucial area of concern.” The AG requested time until early next week to explain the government’s position.

Indian Opinion analysis:
The court’s direction highlights critical questions surrounding openness in governance over mega infrastructure projects like Kaleshwaram, which are economically significant but frequently enough marred by allegations of irregularities. Ensuring due process under Section 8B is fundamental as it guarantees fairness for individuals accused within such inquiries; any lapse could compromise trust in institutional accountability mechanisms like commissions of inquiry.

The issue also raises concerns regarding public disclosure norms as partial release of reports may create political controversies even before formal debate occurs in legislatures like Assemblies-a key platform for verifying findings through deliberation among elected representatives.

Ultimately, how Telangana resolves these issues could set crucial precedents for handling future inquiries into large-scale projects across India while balancing legal integrity with administrative expediency.

Read More: Published – August 21, 2025