AGENCY
new delhi, MAY 16
Telangana forest minister Konda Surekha stirred up yet another controversy, stating that while other ministers often took bribes from firms to clear files, she did not take money from corporates and instead wanted them to contribute to society. The BRS and BJP quickly seized upon her comments and accused the Congress government of indulging in massive corruption. BJP state president and Union minister G Kishan Reddy demanded that chief minister A Revanth Reddy order an investigation following the minister’s comments.
Known for her penchant to shoot off her mouth, Konda Surekha retracted her statement, saying she had accused ministers of the previous regime who took bribes to clear files and blamed the BRS for stirring up a controversy.
Telangana forest minister found herself in a soup after she commented that ministers routinely accept bribes to clear files. Surekha was speaking at the inauguration of a new college building in Warangal when she said the old building was in a bad shape. Constructing a new building required Rs 4.5 crore, and they were at their wits’ end trying to arrange the funds.
“I am the minister of forests… some files from companies come to me for clearance. When such files come, ministers routinely take money and clear them. But I didn’t take a single penny. I told them to develop one of our schools.” The building was constructed with the CSR funds of Aurobindo Pharma.
Union minister for coal and mines G Kishan Reddy promptly demanded that a probe be ordered by chief minister A Revanth Reddy. He said, “Chief minister A Revanth Reddy should order a department-wise probe on the ministers over their involvement and demand for commissions. This should be made public.” BRS working president KT Rama Rao even sarcastically congratulated Surekha for revealing the truth. “Congress in Telangana runs a ‘commission government,’ and it’s unfortunate this has become an open secret in Telangana. In this 30 per cent commission, government ministers, according to their own colleague minister, do not sign files without taking a hefty cut,” he said. He urged Konda Surekha to name and shame the Congress ministers involved and wondered whether the chief minister or Rahul Gandhi would order an inquiry into these allegations.
However, after her comments went viral, Surekha quickly accused BRS of deliberately defaming the government. She explained that she did not mean the ministers in the current government but referred to the previous BRS ministers who had demanded money for signing files.
Earlier Surekha was dragged to court after she made certain unsavoury remarks against actor Nagarjuna, his son Chaithanya and his first wife and actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu and KT Rama Rao. Her remarks had invited statewide condemnation, particularly from the Telugu film industry.
