By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Telangana High Court on Tuesday (September 16) directed the State government not to initiate any adverse action based on the findings of the report of Justice P.C. Ghose Commission against retired IAS officer S.K. Joshi till October 7.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin passed this interim direction, after hearing a writ petition filed by the retired official seeking suspension of the Commission report. The petitioner served as Principal Secretary of Irrigation and Command Area Development during the stint of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, which executed Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
Earlier, the bench also directed the government not to initiate any coercive action against former Chief Minister and BRS supremo K. Chanadrashekhar Rao and T. Harish Rao who served as Irrigation and Finance Minister in the former’s cabinet after hearing their separate pleas. The former IAS officer contended that the Commission did not serve the mandatory notices to him under sections 8A and 8B of the Commissions of Inquiries Act-1952.
His counsel said the Commission accused the former top official of playing improper role in according approvals and participating in financial and technical decisions in violation of business rules. Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy informed the bench that the government had already requested the CBI to investigate into the misappropriation of crores of rupees in construction of barrages as part of the project.
The CBI would probe into these angles based on the reports of National Dam Safety Authority and other Central agencies. The AG said no adverse action would be taken against the petitioner based on the Commission report.
