Vigilance probe ‘nails’ L&T for lapses

Hyderabad: The Vigilance department has submitted a report to the government on the sinking of piers of the Medigadda barrage and damage to the pump houses at Annaram and Sundilla under the Kaleshwaram project on Monday.

It is learnt that the Vigilance department which submitted the report after field study has observed that Rs 3,200 crore was wasted on the project.

Top officials of the Irrigation department said that the report has ‘nailed’ the contract agency L&T company for the damage of piers during heavy floods into the Medigadda barrage recently.

The Vigilance wing took serious note of the delay in the repairs of the damaged structures and its consequences to the safety of the project in the future.

Sources said that the Vigilance officials submitted the report to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and briefed the minister about their findings. Vigilance Director-General Rajiv Ratan will soon meet Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister and take further steps with regard to the barrage safety and maintenance.

Top officials said that the L&T company was held responsible for the ‘poor’ management of the barrage despite the flood levels increasing during the rainy season.

The contract agency was not following certain protocol in the safety and maintenance of the barrage during the monsoon. Sources said that the contract agency would have to update the safety of the project to the government regularly during the maintenance period.

The investigating agency also studied the quality of the material used in the construction of the barrage.

They reportedly found discrepancies in the construction and engineering in the execution of the project designs due to various factors which are being analysed by the irrigation officials before coming to a conclusion.

The Irrigation minister held a meeting with top officials on Monday and discussed the report for further action.

It may be mentioned here that the government had announced a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the Kaleshwaram project. Based on the vigilance report, the government will now decide its next course of action.