Centre slowly debilitating MPLADS?

From total MPLADS fund of Rs 3,857.5 crore to MPs, only Rs 767.5 crore (19.8%) released in 2022-23 as on March 7

Hyderabad: Is the Centre slowly but steadily debilitating the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)? The manner in which funds are being released for the scheme indicate such an attempt.

From the total entitled fund of Rs.3,857.5 crore to Parliamentarians representing both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, only Rs.767.5 crore i.e., around 19.8 percent were released in 2022-23 as on March 7 this year.

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Not so surprisingly, Telangana received a meagre amount of Rs.15 crore as against its entitled fund of Rs.110 crore i.e. 13.6 percent, which is less than national average of 19.8 percent.

The majority share of the funds released by the Centre under MPLADS were given to BJP-ruled States like Uttar Pradesh (Rs 127.5 crore) and Karnataka (Rs 37.5 crore). Bihar, where the BJP was earlier part of the ruling alliance too got a substantial Rs 70 crore. The only two non-BJP ruled States that received a notable amount was Odisha (Rs 60 crore) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 40 crore) under the scheme.

The MPs of both the Houses including nominated members, are empowered to recommend development programmes in their respective constituencies under the MPLADS. Every year, they are allotted Rs 5 crore to spend on the developmental programme. The scheme was first announced by then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao on December 23, 1993, in Lok Sabha.

After the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, the union government temporarily suspended the MPLAD scheme for the financial years of 2020-21 and 2021-22. An estimated Rs 7,800 crore meant for MPLADS were placed at the disposal of the union Finance Ministry to combat and manage the adverse impact of the pandemic. However, the scheme was restored in November 2021 and will be continued upto 2025-26.

As per the 2016 guidelines, funds released under the scheme were non-lapsable and the interest accrued on funds could be used for allowed works recommended by the MPs. However, the BJP government revised the rules and made it mandatory to remit the interest accrued on the funds to the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI).