Hyderabad: The Telangana government has informed the High Court that further action on the Kaleshwaram project report will be taken only after it is discussed in the state Assembly. The court has asked the government not to make the report public and to file a response within three weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for five weeks later.
Earlier, on August 21, the court inquired if the government planned to act on the report’s findings before presenting it in the Assembly. The matter was adjourned to Friday for further discussion.
Petitions from former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao to dismiss the report were heard by the court. The court instructed the government to withdraw the report from public access if it had been released.
The High Court noted that the petitioners were likely affected by the alleged leak of the report’s details at a government press conference. It emphasized that the report should not have been publicized before Assembly discussion. Interim orders to quash the PC Ghose Commission report were deemed unnecessary.
Both KCR and Harish Rao challenged the commission’s report in separate petitions. On Friday, their arguments were considered. The court refused to grant a stay to the BRS MLAs. Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy stated the government’s plan to present the report in the Assembly and decide on any action post-discussion.
Harish Rao’s lawyer, Aryama Sundaram, requested a stay on the entire report. He highlighted potential government actions based on the report and argued against decisions affecting his clients. He criticized the premature release of a 60-page report by the government, which he claimed defamed his clients, adding they weren’t given proper notice under sections 8B and 8C.
The judges questioned why the government issued notice under Section 5(1) instead of 8B. The AG clarified the notice was similar to 8B, noting that Harish Rao and KCR are Assembly members. The AG assured that the report would only be acted upon after its presentation in the Assembly.
The AG also mentioned that the government has a six-month window to present the report to the Assembly.
