Hyderabad: Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Telangana high court has not given a clean chit to anyone responsible for the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project. Responding to the HC verdict, the minister said the petitioners approached the court seeking to quash GO No. 6, which constituted the Justice PC Ghose commission. However, the court found no fault with the constitution of the judicial commission and fully upheld its appointment.“The court did not find fault with the commission’s findings either. It clarified that under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, the inquiry commission is constitutional. The panel’s appointment was neither arbitrary, illegal, nor ultra vires,” he said in a statement.He added that the court raised objections regarding certain determinations made against individuals in the commission’s report, noting that notices had not been issued to them in the prescribed format. The court granted relief to the petitioners, stating that no action should be taken against them solely on the basis of the report.“The state govt has already decided to ask the Centre for a CBI inquiry into the irregularities and failures in the Kaleshwaram project and has written to the CBI. The HC verdict is not an obstacle to the CBI inquiry. The court has not given a clean chit to anyone,” Uttam said.He further stated that the govt would decide on the next course of action after examining the full judgment. The court also clarified that remarks made by the commission against certain individuals would remain inoperative only because notices were not issued to them. “Under Section 8B, this is purely a procedural and technical matter,” he added.
