From transfers, postings, bill clearance to contracts, the Congress leadership is calling out its own government in Telangana for 10 percent commission demands
Published Jan 25, 2025 | 4:08 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 03, 2025 | 3:17 PM
The Congress in Telangana is in an unenviable position with its central leadership — not the Opposition — accusing it of being corrupt, and terming it the 10 percent Sarkar.
If the erstwhile BJP government in Karnataka was branded as “40 per cent sarkara”, the current Congress government in Telangana has acquired the dubious reputation of being a “10 per cent sarkar”. Not by the opposition, but its own central leadership in Delhi.
Conversations — rather grilling — that dominated two recent meetings between the top leadership of Congress and its senior functionaries in Telangana attest to the fact that party high command is worried about the growing unpopularity of A Revanth Reddy-led government.
The meetings – one of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Telangana Congress held in Hyderabad on January 8 and another, coinciding with the inauguration of the new party office in Delhi, on January 15 – witnessed senior party leaders and ministers getting a mouthful from AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC general secretary for Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi were present at both the meetings.
Highly placed sources in the party disclosed to South First that Venugopal did not mince words as he singled out ministers and posed a barrage of questions regarding their objectionable activities that are putting the party and government in disrepute.
KC Venugopal (Screengrab)
Pointing at one senior minister (several ministers were present at the Delhi meet), Venugopal sought to know how he could demand 10 per cent commission for clearance of pending bills. People in the know, pointed to how an education entrepreneur recently met a minister requesting for clearance of fee reimbursement bills pending for a long period.
The minister reportedly asked him to shell out 10 per cent to get the work done. Citing that he could not afford the demanded commission, the entrepreneur preferred to wait for the bills to be cleared in the normal course.
“How much are you demanding for transfers and postings in your department?” Venugopal pointedly questioned another minister handling public-linked departments notorious for money making. Postings at places desired by officials are said to command crores of rupees changing hands for orders to be issued.
When a woman minister complained that officials were not honouring her recommendations, the chief minister reportedly intervened, saying they often violated the rules, and therefore, were not being processed.
A riled up Venugopal is said to have accused the ministers of demanding commission using the Congress central leadership and funding party-related activities as an excuse. “You cannot go on collecting at your level putting the blame on us,” Venugopal ticked them off.
When another minister tried to defend his colleagues under attack, Venugopal was understood to have said: “We know you are the only minister who is clean. You may not be aware of what others are doing. Please do not shield them.”
The ministers were not the only ones who faced the heat. Turning towards Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Venugopal reportedly asked: “Are you even aware of what your ministers are doing? They are having a free run without any sense of accountability.”
The AICC top gun also vent his ire over multiple power centres in almost all ministries.
For example, he asked one minister as to how many staff he has in the office. “Maybe ten,” the minister replied. The AICC general secretary corrected him: “Officially, it is ten. I am aware. But, unofficially it is 20 because the rest are your family members/friends tracking the movements of files and striking deals.”
While the wife of a senior minister has been accused of preparing the list of bills to be cleared, it is public knowledge that brothers and family members of almost all, including Revanth Reddy, are being accused by the Opposition of openly meddling in government matters.
The recklessness has reached such levels that even Congress legislators are not sparing their own ministers.
Rahul Gandhi inspecting the Mediggada barrage, a part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, on 2 November 2023. A Revanth Reddy, the then-TPCC president is also seen.
A case in point mentioned was a recent auction for mining of a sand reach in Karimnagar district. A minister’s followers from the district purchased it in the auction. The MLA, under whose constituency the reach falls, initially sought a commission of Rs 50 lakh. When the demand was largely met, he started asking for a share in the business every month and negotiations are currently underway.
The AICC general secretary rued that even after being in power for more than a year, the Telangana government does not have much to showcase. It has only partly implemented some of election promises, while many are still pending.
Venugopal was also said to have been deeply upset over the chief minister not being available for telephonic conversations to senior ministers and even himself. “Even I am unable to get you on the phone. How does being inaccessible help in efficient functioning of the government,” he asked.
The gathering was left speechless as Venugopal, considered the most powerful in the organisation after Rahul Gandhi, went hammer and tongs at the government.
He asked how contractors and bureaucrats who ruled the roost during the previous BRS rule continue to enjoy patronage even now. “Due to your insistence, Rahul Gandhi visited the damaged Kaleshwaram barrage ahead of the elections. But the company in question (Megha Engineering) managed to not only get all pending bills cleared but also secure new contracts. How can we justify this? At the same time, bills amounting to a few lakhs of rupees due to hundreds of small contractors in villages and towns are kept in abeyance. How will they survive?” he asked.
According to one estimate, a total of ₹ 2,000 crore bills belonging to small contractors remain unpaid since the Congress government came to power because they neither enjoy political connections nor can pay commission. In the meantime, the interest on the loans they have taken to execute the works keep swelling.
Venugopal also made it a point to mention that Rahul Gandhi is unhappy and dejected over the state of affairs in Telangana. It is, therefore, not surprising that the long pending expansion of the Cabinet has not happened.
The constitution of the Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) is also pending though it has now been months since Mahesh Kumar Goud was been appointed as the President.
The functioning of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) too has not been up to the mark, with the Opposition BRS putting the ruling party on the mat in the Assembly on multiple issues.
The lack of a coordinated planning/functioning is evident and unmissable to anyone.
Will Delhi ensure that the party/government mends its ways or will the downward spiral continue remains to be seen.
(Edited by SF Desk).
