Opposition parties hit out at govt over MPLADS decision, say will hit development works

Opposition parties on Monday came down heavily on the government over its decision to suspend MPLADS funds for two years, saying it undermines the role of MPs, who will lose their voice and an instrument to manage distress at the micro level.

Criticising the government for the action, leaders cutting across party lines demanded a review of the decision saying development works in the country would suffer.

The Congress,left parties, TMC and some others were in the forefront of this attack on the government, which is set to garner around Rs 7,900 crore through the decision.

The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme was formulated in December 1993 and enables the MPs to recommend developmental work in their constituencies.

Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector developmental works of Rs 5 crore per year in his/her constituency.Initially, this scheme was administered by Ministry of Rural Development but in October 1994 the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation started monitoring it.

The scheme started with an allocation of Rs 5 lakh in 1993-94 but the amount was increased to Rs 2 crore annually in 1998-99 and to Rs 5 crore annually since 2011-12.

On Monday, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to government's decision to suspend MPLADS scheme for two years.Rs 10 crore from each MPLAD fund will now go to the Consolidated Fund and the decision has been taken in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

There are 543 MPs in Lok Sabha and 245 MPs in Rajya Sabha, totalling 788.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said MPLADS fund is not the personal fund of MPs. This money is for natural calamities and for fighting against diseases like COVID-19 at the local level at the discretion of the MPs, he said.

"If this money is finished, then this will have a direct negative impact on the people of the MP's area and people of the country will lose out. If the country's MPs lose their voice, then how will the Parliament function effectively. Hence, this needs to be restored,"he said.

"Dear PM, INC supports the salary cut for MP's! Please note that MPLAD is meant to execute developmental works in the constituency. Suspending it is a huge disservice to the constituents and will undermine therole and functions of MP," Surjewala tweeted.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, however, went against the party line saying, "I welcome the decision on MPLADS. I have been arguing for long that the approximately Rs 7,000 crore given to MPs & MLAs annually fordevelopment works should be used as a corpus for State funding of elections."