Telangana Govt Hands Over Kaleshwaram Project Probe to CBI

Fast Summary

• Telangana Government has granted consent to the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) to probe allegations of irregularities, embezzlement, and corrupt practices in the construction of Medigadda, Annaram, and sundilla barrages under the Kaleshwaram project.
• Notification issued by State Home Department special chief secretary Ravi Gupta empowers CBI jurisdiction in Telangana against accused individuals, including public servants and private entities.
• The move reverses an earlier order (GO Ms.51) by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government from August 2022 that restricted CBI investigations within the state.
• Developments follow two days after discussions in Telangana’s Legislative Assembly on Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose Commission’s report highlighting failures in planning, designing, quality control, and construction standards for Medigadda barrage.
• national Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) attributed barrage deficiencies to lack of quality control measures; six piers sank due to systemic failures.
• Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose-led inquiry found inadequate planning during project execution. Legislative Assembly deemed this worthy of a CBI investigation because multiple agencies across state and central levels were involved.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The decision by Telangana Government to allow a CBI probe into Kaleshwaram project irregularities signals a significant shift from earlier policies that limited central agency oversight. By entrusting complex inter-agency matters involving infrastructural shortcomings uncovered by NDSA investigations to the CBI-a body equipped for national-level probes-the government seeks complete accountability.

This might help restore confidence among stakeholders concerning openness in infrastructure projects that carry broader interstate implications while prompting policymakers to prioritize stringent oversight mechanisms during execution stages. Moreover, cooperation with CBI signifies acknowledgment on barrages like Medigadda suffering structural flaws due perhaps avoidable lapses-an vital precedent emphasizing checks in governmental operations intersecting multiple jurisdictions.

Read more