Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, on Tuesday (10th June) conducted raids on 13 locations linked to an executive engineer employed at the state irrigation and Command Area Department in connection with a corruption probe. Executive engineer Nune Sridhar was arrested on the allegations of amassing wealth exceeding his means.
As per reports, Sridhar led an envious lifestyle, which was not legally possible for a salaried government employee. He spent crores on his son’s destination wedding in Thailand. He has accumulated massive wealth and properties including a villa in Tellapur near Hyderabad, 3 independent buildings in Warangal, Karimnagar and Hyderabad, 19 prime residential plots in the three cities, 4 flats, 16 acres of agricultural land, and stakes in several hotels in Karimnagar. He also reportedly owns a 4,500 square foot flat in a luxury residential complex called ‘Sky High’ in Hyderabad’s Shaikpet, along with three other flats in Karimnagar. Apart from these, the ACB found two four wheelers, gold ornaments and bank deposits during the raid.
“A case of disproportionate assets to the known sources of income was registered against Nune Sridhar, executive engineer, irrigation & CAD department, division No.-8, SRSP Camp, Choppadandi, Karim Nagar for having acquired these assets by indulging in unlawful practices and dubious means during his service,” said a statement by the anti-corruption branch.
It is reported that the executive engineer was involved in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, a multi-stage lift irrigation project constructed during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government with an estimated cost of over ₹1 lakh crore. The project came under scrutiny for alleged financial and technical irregularities. The project hit headlines after some structural failures emerged, including the sinking of piers at the Medigadda barrage in 2023. Former Telangana chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekar Rao was also summoned by the PC Ghose Commission yesterday (11th June), which is investigating the alleged irregularities in the project.
As per NDTV, a report, submitted by the Director General, Vigilance and Enforcement (DG, V&E), Hyderabad, reccommended criminal proceedings in the Medigadda Barrage Case. The report found serious lapses in execution resulting in the sinking of Block No 7 of the barrage and a substantial financial loss to the state. The Vigilance Commission instructed that the cost incurred for the replacement of the damaged block be recovered from the contractor.
