MPs fail to utilise Local Area Development fund

The aggregate spending by 21 Lok Sabha MPs stood at 72.57% of the sanctioned amount during the period, 2009 to 2013

The members of 15th Lok Sabha from Odisha have failed to fully utilise their Local Area Development (LAD) fund. The aggregate spending by 21 Lok Sabha MPs stood at 72.57 per cent of the sanctioned amount during the period, 2009 to 2013.

The lowest spending has been recorded by Berhampur MP, Sidhant Mohapatra at 57.21 per cent while Puri MP, Pinaki Mishra is credited with the highest spending of 88.67 per cent, according to the government website on utilisation of MPLAD uploaded till March 1, 2014.

The percentage of utilisation over the released funds during the period of 2009-13 of some other MPs are Aska MP, Nityananda Pradhan (67.71 per cent), Balasore MP and Union minister Srikant Jena (64.95 per cent), Bhadrak MP, Arjuna Charan Sethi (75.68 per cent), Bhubaneswar MP, PK Patsani (75.84 per cent), Bolangir MP, KN Snghdeo (78.68 per cent), MP from Cuttack, Bhartuhari Mohatab (68.55 per cent), Kandhamal MP, Rudra Madhab Ray (75.53 per cent), Dhenkanal MP, Tathagat Satapathi (77.71 per cent).

While Congress MPs, Hemanand Biswal (Sundargarh), Amarnath Pradhan (Sambalpur), Sunjay Bhoi (Bargarh), Pradeep Majhi (Nabarangapur) have achieved spending of 76.55 per cent, 80.58 per cent, 66.21 per cent, 64.79 per cent of the sanctioned MPLAD amount, their counterparts from BJD, Laxman Tudu (Mayurbhanja) Jayaram Pangi (Koraput) and YN Singh Lagun (Keonjhar) have spent 79.84 per cent, 83.22 per cent and 66.91 per cent of their allotted funds respectively, sources said.

Similarly, Baijayant Panda (Kendrapara) has spent 65.77 per cent of his MPLAD money and Bhakta Charana Das (Kalahandi), Mohan Jena (Jajpur) and Bibhu Prasad Tarai (Jagatsinghpur) have utilized 57.33 per cent, 72.55 per cent and 78.21 per cent respectively, out of the funds at their disposal during the period.

The poor utilisation of MPLAD fund was due to scrutiny of the proposals in several channels, said Berhampur MP, Sidhant Mohapatra. Others said, they had actually utilised much more than what is reflected in the website, which is not updated.

A Berhampur-based NGO, which conducted a study on "How MP's utilised funds in Odisha," said, the MPs utilised lion's share of their funds for construction of community halls followed by spending on works relating to education, roads and bridges. "The MPs should give priority to the pressing challenges in basic necessary sectors like drinking water, sanitation, health, irrigation and electricity," said Bibhu Prasad Sahu of Youth for Social Development (YSD).

He said, political parties and candidates should publicly disclose MPLAD fund utlisation in their election manifesto and give assurance for 100 per cent efficient and effective utilisation.

Under the MPLAD scheme, currently each MP is given Rs 5-crore per year to spend in their respective constituencies based on their own discretion. MPLAD was introduced in 1993-94 with an amount of Rs 5 lakh per MP. The amount was increased to Rs 1 crore per annum in 1994-95, Rs 2 crore in 1998-99 and Rs 5-crore recently.