Ghose panel garnering evidence to issue summons to netas

Hyderabad: The Justice Chandra Ghose Commission, inquiring into alleged irregularities and poor maintenance of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, has begun gathering adequate evidence to issue summons to responsible leaders and question them.

The Commission grilled 14 irrigation officials of the pump houses of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme on Monday and asked them to submit affidavits before July 16. As the Commission received the CAG report on the project, Ghose will take a call on summoning the leaders only after establishing evidence, officials said. Two representatives from the contract agency that built the pump houses also appeared before the Commission. To gather some more information on the damage to the piers of Medigadda and leakages in Annaram and Sundilla, Ghose asked the government to file an affidavit on the construction of the barrages and their operation and maintenance.

The Commission is waiting for reports from the Vigilance and Enforcement Department and the National Dam Safety Authority to study them and prepare its findings.

Meanwhile, Ghose held a meeting with the expert committee and sought some more findings from their study on the barrages.

The Commission will seek the help of the State Finance wing to understand the CAG findings on the alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram lift scheme. If required, it will meet with State CAG officials to get some clarifications.