Hyderabad, Aug 4 (PTI) The judicial commission appointed by the Telangana government on the Kaleshwaram project held former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao accountable "directly and vicariously" for the irregularities with regard to construction and other aspects.

The state cabinet on Monday discussed and accepted the commission's report in its meeting held at the Secretariat, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy told reporters.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, flanked by CM Reddy and other ministers, said the commission, in its report, also found fault with T Harish Rao, a nephew of KCR who was irrigation minister during the BRS regime, and also the then finance minister Eatala Rajender (now a BJP MP).

The CM said the government would soon call for a meeting of the Assembly and decide its future course of action on the report after a thorough debate on the matter.

The commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge P C Ghose, submitted its report to the government on July 31.

Then CM KCR (K Chandrasekhar Rao) was held "directly and also vicariously accountable for the irregularities and the illegalities in planning, construction, completion, operation and maintenance of the three barrages", Uttam Kumar Reddy said, quoting the report.

The commission also pointed out that the project lacked cabinet approval and works had started even without the final Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The then chief minister is pre-determined and bent upon to construct the barrage at Medigadda at his "free choice" and the authorities associated with the decision making facilitated them, a summary of the report shared with the media said.

The commission concluded that the entire project was characterised by "rampant and brazen procedural and financial irregularities", it said.

"The report underscored that the Kaleshwaram project, intended as a "lifeline" of Telangana, became a colossal waste of public money due to a profound failure of governance, planning, technical oversight and financial discipline, driven by individual decisions and undue influence of political leadership", it said.

The damage to the barrages of the Kaleshwaram project was a key issue during the 2023 assembly elections in the state.

Recalling that he had visited the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram project, along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, before the assembly polls in 2023, CM Reddy said Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to conduct a judicial inquiry on the alleged irregularities in the project if the party came to power.

Countering the allegations against the previous BRS government and KCR, BRS leader S Niranjan Reddy demanded that the commission's report be made public instead of releasing its summary.

He stressed that the commission's report can be challenged legally.

The government is trying to divert public attention in the name of the report ahead of the local body polls, he added. PTI SJR GDK SJR KH

Accountability for project irregularities: commission finds political leadership responsible for governance and financial failures in major irrigation works. A judicial commission found the then chief minister directly and vicariously accountable for procedural and financial irregularities in planning, construction and maintenance of three barrages, noting lack of cabinet approval, works begun without a final Detailed Project Report, a predetermined siting decision for the Medigadda barrage, and pervasive governance, technical and financial failures that led to misuse of public resources.