In a significant development, the Telangana High Court has directed that no action be taken against BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and three others based on the findings of the PC Ghose Commission’s report regarding alleged irregularities in the execution of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.
Delivering its orders on a batch of petitions filed by KCR, former minister T Harish Rao, and others, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin stated that while the constitution of the Commission is valid, certain findings prejudicial to the petitioners were rendered in violation of principles of natural justice.
The court deemed these findings inoperative, stating that no action can be taken on their basis. The court had previously adjourned its verdict on the petitions to April 22, 2026.
The commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice P C Ghose, had probed alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project during the BRS rule. The report, submitted to the government last year, was later tabled in the state assembly and led to the decision to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In its report, the commission held Chandrasekhar Rao accountable for alleged irregularities in the project’s construction and other aspects. The report also found fault with Harish Rao, nephew of KCR and the irrigation minister during the BRS regime, besides the role of some officials, among others, in the construction of barrages and other components of the project.
Challenging the report, KCR, Harish Rao, former Chief Secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi, and senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal approached the court.
