Telangana issues notification for CBI probe into Kaleshwaram project

The Telangana government has issued a notification entrusting the CBI with a probe into alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project. The move follows reports from the NDSA and the Justice PC Ghose Commission, with the Cabinet approving the decision

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Monday issued a notification entrusting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with a probe into the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), assuring full cooperation with the agency.

As per the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, a State government has to issue a notification to enable a CBI probe. To this effect, the government issued G.O. Ms 104.

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In its order, the State pointed out that KLIP involved inter-State issues, multiple departments and agencies of both the Centre and State, as well as Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) in the project design and execution. Considering the complexities, it said entrusting the investigation to the CBI was appropriate.

After the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) submitted its first report on November 1, 2023, followed by an interim report on May 1, 2024, and a final report on April 24, 2025, the State government constituted the Justice PC Ghose Commission, which submitted its findings on July 31.

The Cabinet approved the report and it was tabled in the Assembly on August 31, where a short discussion was also held. After this, the decision to hand the case to the CBI was announced.

Meanwhile, former CBI Joint Director Lakshmi Narayana cautioned that issuing a notification by the State alone does not automatically empower the CBI. “The Central government has to accept and issue a notification under Section 5. Then the CBI takes up the investigation,” he said in a video circulating on social media.

He cited the case of Sugali Preethi in Andhra Pradesh, where the State issued a notification but the Centre did not, and hence the CBI did not investigate. He added that if any Central government employee is involved in corruption, the CBI can proceed without seeking such approval.