KCR moves High Court against Justice Narasimha Reddy Commission

HYDERABAD: Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has moved the Telangana High Court seeking quashing of Justice Narasimha Reddy Commission on power purchase agreements and construction of new thermal power plants in the state

The petition said the setting up of the Justice Narasimha Reddy Commission was against the principles of natural justice. It reiterated that the power purchase was done as per the norms. The former CM accused Justice Narasimha Reddy of acting arbitrarily by holding press conferences. The Commission, Justice Narasimha Reddy, and the Energy Department were the respondents in the case.

On March 14, the state government set up a one-man commission of inquiry under Justice L. Narasimha Reddy to look into the power purchase agreements and construction of new thermal power stations in Telangana in the last 10 years. The Commission, set up under the Commission of Inquiries Act, 1952, had already initiated an inquiry and questioned about 25 officials and former officials of the Telangana power utilities.

It also issued a notice to the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao seeking an explanation by the 15th of June. In this context, KCR sent a 12-page letter to the Commission seeking more time.

In the letter, KCR said that the commission set up by the State Government to probe into the power purchase agreements and construction of new thermal power plants in Telangana was invalid. He said that Justice Narasimha Reddy, a former Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, was not competent to head the inquiry commission.

KCR appealed to Justice Narasimha Reddy to voluntarily step down from the responsibilities of the commission. In the letter, KCR gave a direct reply to the government's points in the Mission Terms and References and the comments made by Justice Narsimha Reddy in the press conference.

"It is regrettable that you, being a former Chief Justice of a High Court, have taken charge of the Commission of Inquiry without consulting the Government as the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry on the judgments delivered by the ERCs is illegal. It is unfortunate that apart from illegally initiating the inquiry, the meeting was held without thoroughly examining many issues and making irrelevant comments on many issues. In the end, you spoke about the jurisdiction of ERCs, which are judicial authorities, "he said.