20 MPs failed to utilise fund for 3 yrs….Anubhuti Vishnoi
Nearly 20 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs have failed to utilise even a single penny from their MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund over the past three years.
Sitting on allocated funds are the likes of RJDs Lalu Prasad, lyricist Javed Akhtar, actor Smriti Irani, Kingfishers Vijay Mallya, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, advocate Ram Jethmalani, BJPs Tarun Vijay and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. This was revealed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Srikant Jena.
Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his or her constituency. A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he or she has been elected. Nominated members may select one or more districts from any one state for implementation of their choice of work.
The fund utilisation record of the Gandhis is far from impressive. Between April 2009 and March 2012, against Rs 656.25 lakh released to Rahul Gandhi, only Rs 231.87 lakh has been utilised. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has done better with Rs 424.96 lakh spent out of the Rs 656.25 lakh released. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has utilised Rs 658.63 lakh out of the Rs 900 lakh released to him.
There are, however, exceptions. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj has spent Rs 1009.32 lakh of the Rs 1153.44 lakh released. Maharashtra MP Dilip Kumar Gandhi has spent all of the Rs 685 lakh released to him and so has Raosaheb Patil. Rajasthan MP Ratan Singh spent Rs 600 lakh of the Rs 650 lakh allocated.
Kapil Sibal, Krishna Tirath, Ajay Maken, C P Joshi, Dayanidhi Maran, S M Krishna have not been released a single rupee since 2011-12. H D Kumaraswamy, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Lalu Prasad, Deepa Dasmunshi, V Narayanasamy, Hamdullah Sayeed, Arun Jaitley, Oscar Fernandes, Balbir Punj, Kanimozhi, Amar Singh also figure on this list.
MPLADS funds are released on receipt of monthly progress report, utilisation and audit certificates from nodal district authorities. Delay in furnishing these results in a consequential delay in release of funds, Jena said.