Shabbir wants Centre to order CBI probe into KLIS 'corruption'

Hyderabad: Former minister and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Thursday demanded that the Union government order a CBI inquiry into the alleged corruption in the execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

Reacting to the allegations of corruption levelled by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the counter given by Finance Minister T Harish Rao, he alleged that both the BJP and TRS leaders were indulging in a blame game to cover up the scam.

"Union Minister Shekhawat had alleged that corruption had exceeded all limits in KLIS. In this scenario, the Centre should immediately order a CBI inquiry. It should also engage the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department to trace the swindled public money. The BJP is running the government at the Centre. Therefore, its leaders should not speak in the tone of just an Opposition party. If the TRS government has done something wrong, then the Centre should take immediate action by ordering an inquiry," he demanded.

Shabbir Ali ridiculed the counter given by Harish Rao to the Union minister's allegations of corruption in KLIS. "If the TRS government is honest and did nothing wrong in the execution of KLIS, then why did it prevent the delegation of the Congress Legislature Party from visiting the Kaleshwaram or other irrigation projects?

He said the Congress leaders wanted to see the pump houses which got submerged in the recent floods. However, the government stopped them by using the police and the entire local administration. Why are you not allowing the Opposition to inspect the place if you have nothing to hide?" he asked Harish Rao.