Probe KCR's large-scale corruption in Kaleshwaram project: YSRTP chief Sharmila appeals to CBI

By Nishant Ketu
New Delhi [India], October 7 : YSR Telangana Party president YS Sharmila met a senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official on Friday and complained against the alleged irregularities and large-scale corruption perpetrated by the K Chandrashekar Rao government in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Telangana.
Submitting a memorandum backed by well-documented information, Sharmila alleged that the project, which is directly controlled by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, is a classic example of "rampant corruption, nepotism and favouritism."
"KLIP is the glaring example of KCR and his government's corruption in astronomical proportions, where the project was redesigned to increase the expenditure to Rs 1.25 lakh crore, from Rs 40,000 crore. The project's foundation lies in unfathomable measures of irregularities that include embezzlement, falsified accounts, bloated pricing and consistent mismatch between actual expenditure and 'faked' expenses," Sharmila alleged.
She added that her party has been tirelessly fighting against Kaleshwaram irregularities, where a single contractor has been found to be favoured without creating a level-playing field for the others. "Why was one contractor handpicked? Why were motor tenders overpriced at every stage, a scam worth thousands of crores," she questioned.
Sharmila also pointed out that the figures promised were also faked by TRS, which is a blatant deception meted out to Telangana farmers, who were pinning hopes on the project, to get relief from perennial drought and irrigation issues.
The detailed project report was scripted conveniently to cheat people, where 24 lakh acres were promised to be irrigated. Experts have time and again picked holes and warned KCR against his whimsical attitude that put the project's existence and safety in jeopardy. The result is the massive scale destruction during the recent floods, where pumphouses were battered beyond recognition, an indication of corruption, she alleged.
"As a party that is deeply committed to the interests of Telangana, we today demand an objective and urgent investigation into these irregularities many of which have been well-documented for the media and the authorities' reference. It is deplorable to note that the two national parties have thoroughly failed in this direction and YSR Telangana party takes the onus to expose KCR and his tyrannical dealing of things, unleashing an era of criminal conspiracies and corruption, YS Sharmila said, hoping there would be some movement after YSR Telangana Party's complaint.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in June 2019 inaugurated the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project in Bhupalpally district, billed as the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation scheme. The Project was mired in controversies since its inception.