Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the State government not to take any adverse action against retired IAS officer S.K. Joshi based on the findings of the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission report until October 7.
The interim order was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, after hearing a writ petition filed by Joshi challenging the validity of the Commission’s findings.
Petition Filed by Former Irrigation Secretary
S.K. Joshi, who formerly served as Principal Secretary of Irrigation and Command Area Development, played a key administrative role during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government’s execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) – one of the costliest infrastructure projects undertaken by the state.
In his petition, Joshi alleged that the Ghose Commission failed to serve him mandatory notices under Sections 8A and 8B of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, thereby denying him an opportunity to respond before the report was finalized.
Commission Allegations and Legal Stand
Joshi’s counsel argued that the Commission had accused the former bureaucrat of an improper role in granting approvals and involvement in financial and technical decisions, allegedly in violation of established business rules.
The petitioner sought suspension of the report, arguing that due process was not followed, and that he was unfairly implicated without being given a chance to explain or defend his actions.
State Government Responds, CBI Probe in Motion
Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy, representing the Telangana government, informed the court that no coercive action would be taken against Joshi based on the Commission’s findings at this stage. He further noted that the CBI has already been requested to investigate alleged financial irregularities in the construction of barrages under the KLIP.
The probe, he said, will be guided by reports from the National Dam Safety Authority and other Central agencies, independent of the Commission’s conclusions.
Earlier Relief to KCR and Harish Rao
The High Court had earlier granted similar interim relief to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and former Finance and Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, in response to their separate petitions. The bench had directed the government not to initiate coercive measures against them pending further hearings.
