TDP defends Narayana amid YSRCP allegations of waste management

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Ponguru Narayana inspects the Donthali landfill in Nellore on Sunday. TDP state spokesperson Kotamreddy Giridhar Reddy and former deputy mayor Roop Kumar Yadav are also seen. | Photo credit: By arrangement

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) hit out at YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy and warned him to mind his words after he alleged that Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana was involved in a ₹1,200 crore solid waste management scam.

According to a senior YSRCP official, the allegations relate to irregularities in waste collection, clearance of heritage, purchase of equipment and viability of the plant, besides bulldozing the process without required administrative approvals.

TDP State Spokesperson Kotamreddy Giridhar Reddy and former Deputy Mayor P. Roop Kumar Yadav spoke on the issue and warned the YSCRP leader against making such allegations as he would later have to provide proper evidence to support his claims.

“The MLC must keep his words in mind and cannot make wild allegations against a minister who works for the poor. It is now clear that these allegations are only aimed at protecting his position in the YSRCP,” said Mr. Giridhar Reddy.

Accusing the erstwhile YSRCP regime of burdening the public with waste taxes and neglecting door-to-door collection, he claimed that the accumulation of waste in landfills reflected the poor state of affairs of the previous government. Mr. Roop Kumar Yadav said that YSRCP leaders were nervous ahead of the ensuing local polls and that Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy’s “empty rhetoric” showed his party’s lack of preparedness.

Meanwhile, Mr. Narayana visited the Donthali dumping ground in Nellore on Sunday and said that he would escape such allegations unscathed.

Mr. Narayana questioned YSRCP leaders’ claims of suspecting foul play behind the recent dump fire. He replied that “educated illiterates” could never understand the process of releasing methane from a landfill.

“I don’t have to indulge in corruption to earn money as I can run my education group which had a turnover of ₹6,500 crore in 2024,” the minister said.

Published – 20 Sep 2026 20:10 IST