Sidhu worst among Punjab MPs in utilizing MPLAD funds

Flamboyant BJP Member of Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu has performed poorly in terms of utilising MPLAD funds in comparison to other Lok Sabha MPS from Punjab.

Sidhu's performance is the worst amongst all Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab. He has only used Rs.9.45 crores of the sanctioned amount of Rs.19 crores during the 15th Lok Sabha.

Sidhu recently hogged national headlines for targeting his own BJP-SAD Government in Punjab for ignoring development works in his parliamentary constituency of Amritsar.

His wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, an MLA and chief parliamentary secretary in the Prakash Singh Badal Government, had also made similar complaints.

Data confirms that all Punjab MPs were sanctioned Rs. 247 crore in total for the 2009-2013 period, that is Rs.19 crore to each of the 13 MPs, for carrying out development works in their respective constituencies.

With the Lok Sabha term coming to an end in May, the unused MPLAD funds will lapse.

Lok Sabha MP from Patiala Perneet Kaur, who is the wife of former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh utilized the maximum funds to the tune of Rs. 16.05 crore.

None of the Punjab MPs have been able to use 100 per cent funds of the cumulative total from 2009 to 2013.

"Sidhu is the poorest performer in utilizing development funds'', said opposition Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka.

He claimed that Sidhu has been shedding crocodile tears on the issue of development, while data shows just how serious he was about ensuring the the welfare of the people of his constituency.

Fatehgarh Sahib Congress MP Sukdev Singh Libra has also spent only Rs.9.67 crore for the development of his constituency, while Sangrur Congress MP Vijay Inder Singla spent only Rs.9.94 crore from the MPLAD funds for the development of his constituency.

Mohinder Singh Kaypee, the Congress MP from Jalandhar spent Rs.10.59 crore while Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari spent Rs.11.36 crore in his Ludhiana constituency and state Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa spent Rs.11.01 crore in his Gurdaspur constituency.

Hoshiarpur MP Santosh Chaudhary has spent Rs.15.13 crore, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal spent Rs.14.61 crore and Faridkot MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan spent Rs.14.59 crore from their respective MPLAD funds, while Khadoor Sahib MP Ratan Singh Ajnala spent Rs.15.92 crore.