RTI for Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project — Land Acquisition, Compensation, Water Allocation and Fund Utilisation Records

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) is the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, implemented by the Government of Telangana to lift water from the Godavari River — one of India's major rivers — and supply it to the drought-prone districts of North Telangana and parts of Central and South Telangana. The project is executed through Kaleshwaram Project Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL), a state government corporation under the Irrigation and Command Area Development (CAD) Department. For thousands of farmers whose land was acquired, for communities displaced from reservoir submergence zones, for farmers awaiting promised irrigation water, and for citizens seeking accountability over tens of thousands of crores of public funds, the Right to Information Act, 2005, is the statutory tool through which official records can be compelled. This guide explains how to exercise that right.

Understanding KLIS and KPDCL

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme is a network of pumping stations, barrages, underground tunnels, gravity canals, balancing reservoirs, and distribution infrastructure designed to divert water from the Godavari and its tributaries — primarily at the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages on the Godavari River — and lift it mechanically to elevated reservoirs from which it flows by gravity into the command area. The scheme's multi-stage lift system, which moves water across hundreds of kilometres against gravity using massive electric pumping stations, makes it structurally and technically unprecedented in scale among irrigation projects in India.

Kaleshwaram Project Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle constituted by the Government of Telangana to implement, operate, and manage KLIS. KPDCL raised a substantial portion of project funds through bonds and debentures — instruments issued in the financial market — backed by government guarantees. This funding structure, involving off-budget borrowings, became one of the central issues raised in CAG audits of the project. KPDCL functions under the administrative control of the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department, Government of Telangana.

Project scale and controversy: KLIS was cleared and substantially executed at a cost that grew far beyond the original estimates. The CAG of India, in its audit reports tabled before the Telangana Legislature, raised concerns about cost escalations, the adequacy of technical appraisal, the routing of funds through KPDCL bonds outside normal budget constraints, and the pace of environmental clearance compliance. Structural concerns about the Medigadda Barrage — the first major structure in the system — emerged publicly and prompted government-ordered technical inspections. These controversies make RTI all the more important as a mechanism for public accountability.

KPDCL as a Public Authority Under the RTI Act

KPDCL is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, because it is a body established by and wholly owned by the Government of Telangana, incorporated to carry out a public function (irrigation infrastructure) and substantially financed by government resources — both budget allocations and government-guaranteed bonds. KPDCL is therefore required to designate a CPIO and a First Appellate Authority (FAA), maintain suo motu disclosures under Section 4, and respond to RTI applications within the statutory timelines.

The Chief Engineer (KLIS) under the Irrigation and CAD Department is separately also a public authority. Depending on which specific records you need — corporate financial records of KPDCL, or engineering and technical records of the Irrigation Department's field formations — you may need to file with KPDCL's CPIO, or with the CPIO of the Chief Engineer (KLIS), or with the district-level Special Land Acquisition Officer. Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, if you file with the wrong office, that office is required to transfer your application to the correct authority within 5 days and notify you.

Land Acquisition and Compensation Records

What RTI Can Obtain

The Kaleshwaram project required the acquisition of substantial agricultural and non-agricultural land across multiple districts — for barrage construction, pump house sites, reservoir submergence, canal alignments, and access roads. Acquisition was conducted under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act) by Special Land Acquisition Officers designated for the project.

Land Acquisition Awards: The formal Award — specifying the market value, solatium, interest components, and total compensation for each survey number — is the foundational document for any affected farmer. Certified copies of Awards are held by the Special Land Acquisition Officer and KPDCL's land records division, and are compellable through RTI.

Compensation disbursement records: RTI can surface whether payment was made to the correct account, on what date, and by what mode — or, in contested cases, whether amounts were deposited in a Reference Court and remain unclaimed. For families still awaiting payment, this paper trail is essential for pursuing legal remedies.

Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R): The LARR Act 2013 mandates R&R entitlements — shifting allowances, alternative agricultural land or livelihood restoration grants, housing, and preference in project employment — for displaced households. KPDCL formulated an R&R scheme; RTI can surface the scheme document, the list of beneficiaries in each village, the amounts paid, and the number of pending R&R cases.

Water Allocation Records

Farmers within KLIS's command area — covering districts such as Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Jagitial, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Warangal, Nalgonda, and Khammam — were promised irrigation water under the project's command area plan. In practice, the pace and extent of water delivery has varied substantially across seasons and mandals.

RTI is the mechanism to obtain the official water allocation data: how many TMC of water was released from KLIS reservoirs in a given season, to which districts and mandals, through which distributary canal network, and how many acres were actually irrigated versus the sanctioned command area. This information — held by the Command Area Development Authority, Chief Engineer (KLIS), and district-level project offices — enables farmers to verify whether their area is receiving its entitlement and to support grievances if it is not.

Project Fund Utilisation and Loan Records

Expenditure and Cost Revision

The original KLIS administrative approval and the revised cost estimates — including the government orders specifying each revision, the comparative cost statements, and the authority that approved each escalation — are official records held by KPDCL and the Irrigation Department. RTI can obtain: the original sanctioned cost, each subsequent revision, the reasons recorded, and the year-wise expenditure incurred.

KPDCL Bond and Loan Repayment

KPDCL raised funds through bonds and borrowings from financial institutions, backed by government guarantees. The bond issuance prospectuses, the loan agreements, the outstanding liability statements, and the repayment schedule are held by KPDCL's finance division. RTI can surface: the total outstanding debt as of the most recent financial year-end, the repayment schedule for each instrument, whether any instalment is overdue, and the total annual debt service cost — information essential for assessing the fiscal sustainability of the project.

CAG Audit Response

CAG compliance records — KPDCL's responses to Inspection Reports, the action-taken notes submitted to the Principal Accountant General (Audit), Telangana, and the status notes placed before the Public Accounts Committee — are held by KPDCL and the Finance Department. While tabled CAG reports are already public, these internal compliance documents are not; RTI is the correct route to access them.

Structural Inspection Records

Concerns about the structural condition of the Medigadda Barrage — which has shown signs of foundation distress — have been publicly reported and prompted government-ordered technical inspections by expert committees. Structural inspection and safety assessment reports, whether conducted by KPDCL's own engineers, the Chief Engineer (KLIS), or an independent expert panel or committee appointed by the government, are official government records. RTI can obtain: the inspection report itself, the findings on structural condition, any remedial measures recommended, the implementation status of those measures, and whether any restriction on operation levels or storage has been imposed as a precautionary measure. These records are of direct public interest to communities living downstream of KLIS barrages.

How to File Your RTI with KPDCL

Online filing: The Government of Telangana's online portal at telangana.gov.in hosts RTI filing for state public authorities. Navigate to the RTI section, select KPDCL or the Irrigation and CAD Department as the public authority, pay the ₹10 fee online, and submit your application.

Physical filing: Address your application to the CPIO, Kaleshwaram Project Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL), Government of Telangana, Hyderabad – 500004, and enclose a ₹10 Indian Postal Order (IPO). Send by registered post with acknowledgement due and keep the postal receipt.

BPL cardholders are exempt from the ₹10 fee; attach a self-attested photocopy of your BPL card.

For engineering and technical records held at the field level — such as canal maintenance records, pump house operation logs, or survey records — you may need to file directly with the CPIO of the relevant Chief Engineer's office or the Superintending Engineer (KLIS) for the relevant circle.

Filing and Appeal Process

Step 1: Draft a Precise Application

Precision is critical. Always specify: the survey number or plot number and village/mandal/district for land acquisition queries; the season and mandal for water allocation queries; the financial year for expenditure queries; and the specific barrage name for structural inspection queries. Vague applications yield evasive or partial responses.

Step 2: Track the 30-Day Deadline

Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, KPDCL must respond within 30 days of receipt of your application. Where information touches directly on the life or liberty of a person — for example, where a displaced family has lost its only agricultural land and has received no compensation or shelter — the proviso to Section 7(1) requires a response within 48 hours. Retain your acknowledgement or postal receipt.

Step 3: First Appeal

If KPDCL's CPIO does not respond, or the response is incomplete or wrongly withholds information, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) with the First Appellate Authority designated within KPDCL or the Irrigation Department. File within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is required. The FAA must decide within 30 days (or 45 days with reasons).

Step 4: Second Appeal to TSIC

If the First Appeal is unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) with the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC) within 90 days of the FAA's order or the expiry of the FAA's response period. No fee is payable. The TSIC — constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act as Telangana's State Information Commission — can order KPDCL to disclose withheld information and impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000 maximum) on the CPIO personally under Section 20 of the RTI Act for unjustified delay or denial.

Jurisdictional Note: TSIC — Not CIC

KPDCL is a Telangana state public authority. The Central Information Commission (CIC) has no jurisdiction over KPDCL or the Telangana Irrigation Department. All second appeals from KPDCL or Irrigation Department RTI responses must go to the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC). If you also need records held by the Central Government — such as MoEFCC's environmental clearance records or CWC's technical appraisal notes — those applications go to the respective Central Government CPIOs and, on second appeal, to the CIC.

Practical Tips

• Always cite the specific survey number when seeking land acquisition or compensation records. KPDCL handles thousands of affected plots; a query without a property identifier invites a vague response.
• For water allocation queries, specify the season and mandal and ask for the official allocation order, not just a verbal assurance from field staff.
• For fund utilisation, ask for year-wise expenditure statements and component-wise breakdowns — a consolidated figure without component details is of limited accountability value.
• For structural inspection records, cite any public reports or news references to the inspection to make clear you are seeking specific official records, not a generic engineering opinion.
• Check KPDCL's Section 4 suo motu disclosures before filing — if the information is already published, you save the RTI process. If not published as required by Section 4(1)(b), that itself is a violation you can note in your application.
• If KPDCL claims commercial confidence under Section 8(1)(d) to shield bond or loan records, challenge this in the First Appeal: debt raised on government guarantee for a public irrigation project, and the repayment obligations thereof, are matters of public finance that cannot be shielded by commercial confidentiality claims.