BJP MP Eatala Rajender appearing before the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, set up for an inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project, in Hyderabad on Friday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

BJP MP Eatala Rajender appearing before the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission, set up for an inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project, in Hyderabad on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G

HYDERABAD

BJP MP from Malkajgiri Eatala Rajender, who was a member of the Cabinet in the previous BRS government and held the Finance portfolio from June 2014 to December 2018, has stated that his role in the Kaleshwaram project was limited to just releasing funds allocated in the budget.

He had nothing to do with the decision-making on project designs and the execution part, including quality control, as the Irrigation Department was responsible for all such technical aspects, Mr. Rajender told the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission of Inquiry, when he deposed before it on Friday. The panel was set up to probe the alleged irregularities in the construction of three barrages of the Kaleshwaram project.

On the role of borrowings by a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Kaleshwaram Irrigation Corporation Ltd, Mr. Rajender told the Commission that as the Finance Minister, he had nothing to do with the borrowings and release of funds. He, however, stated that taking up the project was a collective decision of the Cabinet headed by then CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao, despite his repeated claims publicly that the project was his brainchild.

Location aspect

On the location of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, instead of one at Tummidihatti, Mr. Rajender told the Commission that it was finalised based on a technical committee report and a Cabinet Sub-Committee following the objections raised by the Maharashtra Government and Central Water Commission (CWC) assessment of lesser water at Tummidihatti.

He said that the project was proposed with ₹63,000 crore and due to various reasons, it went up to ₹82,000 crore.

Further, Mr. Rajender said that the SPV was created due to paucity of funds and the detailed project report had the proposal to collect money for supply of water for drinking and industrial needs. He also submitted an affidavit containing information he had.

On a specific question from the Commission whether the construction of barrages lacked financial discipline, Mr. Rajender said that except for release of funds from the budgetary allocation, the Finance Department was either not aware or not involved in any aspect. The Commission has collected information from Mr. Rajender by posing about 19 questions to him.

He also made it clear that then CM KCR and then Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao were involved in all the decisions pertaining to the project. He stated that he had requested the Commission to act against those responsible for ‘corruption’ in the execution of the project.

Speaking to the media later, he demanded that the government make public all the reports on the corruption aspect, and not use the issue only for political interests.