Guwahati: Seven Rajya Sabha MPs from Assam have managed to utilise only 45 percent of their Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds. This has been revealed in a recent report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The MPs who have come under the scanner for poor utilisation of funds are namely Bhubaneswar Kalita, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Rwngwra Narzary, and Pabitra Margherita.
According to the report, the seven parliamentarians were entitled to a total of Rs 60 crore under the MPLAD scheme. But, they managed to disburse only Rs 18.24 crore of the Rs 40 crore that was released. Thus, Rs 21.76 crore remained unutilised which means only 45.60 percent of the total allocated funds were utilised.
For instance, MP Pabitra Margherita disbursed Rs 1.10 crore out of Rs 2.50 crore he was allotted while Rwngwra Narzary utilised Rs 2.50 crore of his entitlement. Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and Birendra Prasad Baishya spent Rs 2.51 crore each of their allocations of Rs 7.50 crore and Rs 9.50 crore respectively. Bhubaneswar Kalita spent Rs 1.53 crore out of his Rs 9.50 crore entitlement.
The aim behind the MPLAD funds is to enable MPs to recommend development-related work. The annual MPLAD funds entitlement is Rs 5 crore per MP. This is released in two instalments of Rs 2.5 crore. So, non utilisation of the funds highlights a significant shortcoming in the parliamentarians' commitment towards local area development, sources said.
Also Read:Modification in MPLAD funds involving SC/ST clause raise controversy
"As these MPs hold a critical role in representing Assam's interests and promoting its growth, the non-utilisation of MPLAD funds poses a serious question about their dedication to propelling the state's progress," he said.
