L&T silent; TG govt weighs legal options

Hyderabad: The Telangana government and the L&T company have seemingly locked horns again in the Medigadda barrage controversy.

The government wants the construction agency to return the completion certificate (CC) issued by the previous BRS government. The incumbent government argues that the previous government had issued the completion certificate even before the completion of the construction of the barrage. Though the Revanth Reddy government asked the contract agency to return the CC a few days ago, the company remained silent till date.

Top officials said the Irrigation department has now sent a notice to the agency asking them to return the completion certificate as the certificate was invalid since the works which cost more than Rs 150 crore were yet to be completed.

Officials say the completion certificate was issued to the company on their insistence on March 15, 2021, though works were still in progress.

The present government had also initiated a departmental probe into how some officials issued the certificate to the agency. This was also stated by engineers who deposed before the Justice Ghose Commission.

The Irrigation wing now proposes to move legally. It was waiting for the response of the agency before taking administrative measures to take forward the issue. The L&T company was moving cautiously ever since the piers of the barrage sank last year and the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) found the role of the agency in the damage of the barrage in its interim report. Sources said the company was waiting for the final report of the NDSA to respond to the notice sent by the government and return the completion certificate.