Hyderabad: Former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and Smita Sabharwal, the Special Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) during the BRS regime, were questioned by the Justice PC Ghose commission on their involvement in the Medigadda barrage and the broader Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS). The commission, which is investigating issues related to the project, expressed frustration with the officers' inability to recall important decisions taken during their tenure.
Both officials admitted that they were not fully aware of the approvals for the project, as many decisions were made at the level of the then Irrigation Minister and the Irrigation Secretary. They also noted that some decisions regarding the barrages and the Kaleshwaram project could have been made by the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and other ministers, but they were not part of those deliberations.
The commission summoned Somesh Kumar and Smita Sabharwal for cross-examination, given that both officers had worked in the Irrigation Department for significant periods. During the questioning, Justice Ghose instructed Somesh Kumar to focus solely on the issues related to the Kaleshwaram project and the barrages, and not to engage in arguments with the panel.
Somesh Kumar further stated that he could not even recall the date of the inauguration of the Medigadda barrage by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Kumar had served as the Principal Secretary in charge of the Irrigation Department for four months when the Kaleshwaram project was officially launched in June 2019.
When questioned about administrative sanctions for the three barrages and associated costs, Smita Sabharwal expressed her lack of knowledge regarding the matters raised during the inquiry.
The commission’s investigation into the Kaleshwaram project continues, with the panel seeking to clarify key decisions and approvals related to the project's execution and its funding. The inquiry is significant, given the project's scale and its implications for the region's water resources and infrastructure.
