Telangana’s Forest, Environment and Endowments Minister, Konda Surekha, has landed in controversy after publicly stating that “ministers usually take money to clear files.” The statement, made during the foundation stone ceremony of a government girls’ junior college in Warangal, quickly drew widespread attention. Surekha clarified that while companies do approach her for approvals, she refuses any monetary offers and instead urges them to contribute to social causes—such as the construction of schools. She cited a recent example where a company agreed to build the college at a cost of ₹4.5 crore.

Surekha’s remarks, however, were seized upon by critics of the Congress government, who interpreted them as an admission of ongoing corruption within the administration. Political opponents accused the minister of revealing unethical practices, sparking a storm of reactions on social media. The Telugu clip of her speech, where she alludes to file clearances being tied to bribes, went viral and further fueled the controversy.

In response to the backlash, the minister took to social media platform ‘X’ to clarify her intent, stating that her comments were aimed at ministers from the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime, not the current administration. She accused her critics of deliberately distorting her words and announced plans to release a video elaborating her stance. Not new to controversies, Surekha had previously faced defamation cases for her remarks about BRS leader K. T. Rama Rao’s alleged involvement in the personal lives of film celebrities.