Hyderabad: Former Irrigation Minister Harish Rao appeared before the Kaleshwaram Project Inquiry Commission on Monday. The proceedings, held at BRK Bhavan, were presided over by Justice P.C. Ghose. The commission questioned Rao for nearly 45 minutes, posing around 20 queries related to the redesign and execution of the multi-crore irrigation project.
Following the session, Harish Rao addressed the media, stating that he had submitted all relevant documents and furnished detailed responses. He said the commission specifically asked why the project was shifted from Thummidihatti to Medigadda and raised questions about the excavation of canals from alternative locations rather than the originally proposed site.
కాళేశ్వరం కమీషన్ విచారణ అనంతరం మీడియాతో మాజీ మంత్రి హరీష్ రావు 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/7wdS1cwFTz
— Sarita Avula (@SaritaAvula) June 9, 2025
Harish Rao clarified that the project had received cabinet approval and was not based on oral decisions. He noted that five meetings were held between the governments of Telangana and Maharashtra, and the proceedings of those meetings were shared with the committee. He further stated that then-Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had personally visited Mumbai to seek Maharashtra’s nod for construction at Thummidihatti, but the proposal was declined by the neighbouring state.
ALSO READ: ‘Man Mums’ Trend in China: Women Pay for Comfort Hugs Amid Rising Stress
The former minister also alleged that the earlier Congress government had designed the project in a region with inadequate water availability, necessitating a redesign to a more feasible location.
The commission had earlier issued notices to former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, former Finance Minister Etela Rajender, and Harish Rao. Etela appeared before the panel on June 6, Harish Rao on June 9, while KCR is scheduled to appear on June 11.