Ghose Commission report: Telangana HC asks govt whether it would table action taken report in Assembly along with report for discussion of its findings

The Telangana government appointed former Supreme Court Judge, Justice (retd) Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the one-man judicial commission to investigate the alleged irregularities in the planning, design, and construction of Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages, which formed integral components of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), a flagship project of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.

The petitioners held that the inquiry commission was unconstitutional and illegal, and the inquiry report was invalid, and that the government’s actions were unfair.

During the hearing, the petitioners contended that the findings of the commission were prejudicial, scurrilous, defamatory, and scathing against the petitioners.

Their counsel argued that not only were the petitioners not given a copy of the report and its findings to date, but also not issued a notice specifying the charges held against them or allowed to cross-examine the witnesses as per the rules.

The petitioners sought the court’s direction not to take any action against them unless the state produces proof of issuance of 8 (2) notice to the petitioners as per the Commission of Inquiry (Rules), 972.

“What we wanted to be clear about is if the government would await the acceptance of the report by the Assembly before taking any action on the basis of the findings given by the report or it will be acting on the report, take action, and place the report and the action taken before the Assembly,” the Chief Justice observed.

While the counsel for the state initially said that no action-taken report is to be placed immediately, he sought time for further instructions from the state government.

“The acceptance of the findings of the report is to be done on the floor of the Assembly after a debate — whether any action is to be taken before that on the basis of the report or after acceptance of the findings,” the CJ clarified.

Editor's Choice

‘Misplaced’: India rejects Bangladesh’s allegations of Awami League ‘activities’ in Delhi, Kolkata

Personnel shortage ‘existential threat’ to aviation safety: House panel bats for full autonomy to DGCA

‘Privilege, not a right’: US tightens citizenship rules with new ‘good moral character’ test