HYDERABAD: Environment, Forests and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha appears to be slipping into deeper trouble, with a fresh set of allegations emerging against her former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N Sumanth.
According to sources, Sumanth allegedly threatened senior executives of several cement factories and contractors involved in major projects, including the Medaram Sammakka Saralamma temple construction, demanding large sums of money in return for facilitating transfers and postings.
It is also being widely discussed that Surekha had appointed him as OSD despite the General Administration Department (GAD) earlier rejecting his appointment proposal.
Sumanth, who was appointed on a contractual basis by the Pollution Control Board in 2023, was supposed to serve until December this year. However, his services were terminated prematurely following multiple corruption complaints.
Government sources said that Sumanth had been repeatedly warned about his conduct in departments under the minister’s purview. Senior officials had reportedly cautioned Surekha about him, but she allegedly ignored the warnings.
Sources told TNIE that Sumanth is Surekha’s most trusted aide, to the extent that even after the controversy erupted, he was seen travelling with her in her car. Attempts to contact Sumanth were unsuccessful — his phone was switched off and text messages unanswered.
Sumanth demanded crores from cement factories: Sources
Now, the controversy has snowballed into a major embarrassment for the entire Konda family.
As per official sources, Sumanth allegedly contacted several cement factories operating mainly in the Huzurnagar Assembly Constituency, demanding several crores from their managements. When the factory executives refused, citing cordial relations with another senior minister, Sumanth reportedly confronted them, asserting that the matter fell under his department’s jurisdiction and warning them against discussing it with other ministers.
The sources further revealed that the minister concerned subsequently met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and lodged a complaint against Sumanth’s conduct. Following this, the chief minister reportedly ordered an inquiry into both the alleged extortion and the circumstances surrounding Sumanth’s appointment, despite the GAD’s prior objections.
Sumanth is also accused of interfering in the Forest department, including an incident in which he allegedly occupied the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests’s chair and sidelined the senior officer. He reportedly demanded lakhs from officers for transfer postings, which has now become part of a police investigation.
Besides, Sumanth allegedly called several contractors working on the Sammakka–Saralamma temple project in Medaram, demanding money before permitting work to begin. He purportedly threatened to obstruct construction if his demands were not met. The project is considered prestigious for both the state government and the chief minister, who had promised during the Assembly elections to develop it on the lines of the Thousand Pillar Temple. The CM recently reviewed the project’s progress during his visit to Warangal.
Government sources added that while only a few complaints have so far reached the chief minister, several officers are prepared to provide statements if a formal inquiry is initiated. The Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, is likely to register an FIR against Sumanth and initiate a detailed investigation into the multiple allegations.
Meanwhile, the controversy took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when Susmitha, daughter of Surekha, launched a public outburst against the CM, his brothers, government adviser Vem Narender Reddy, Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, and other Warangal-based Congress Reddy MLAs.
Susmitha accused them of conspiring against her mother and claimed that the Congress leadership was targeting her parents. Susmitha allegedly obstructed the Task Force police who had come to the minister’s residence to detain Sumanth.
It may be mentioned here that Surekha is the only party MLA from Warangal belonging to the backward classes and the development comes at a time the party is keen to be seen as a champion of the community.
Susmitha alleged that Reddy leaders, including ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Srinivasa Reddy, were plotting against her father, former MLC Konda Murali.
Referring to a dispute involving Deccan Cements, she claimed that the Congress leader C Rohin Reddy had called Sumanth to mediate certain issues with the company’s executives. She questioned why the police had not registered a case against Rohin Reddy in connection with the matter.
