Of the top five ministers in the Central government, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has performed the best, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has scored the lowest in terms of expenditure for development works in their respective constituencies through their MPLAD (Member Of Parliament Local Area Development) Fund, according to data available with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Sushma Swaraj, Member of Parliament from the Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh has spent around 80% of the total available funds. She has spent almost Rs 12.09 crore from the available fund of Rs 15 crore in the last three years for installing several hand pumps in villages, constructing arterial roads, sewers and culverts, among others. Arun Jaitley, Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat and Union Finance Minster spent almost 70% of the available MPLAD funds for developmental works in his constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent about Rs 5.82 crore for development works including building roads, sewers, toilets and parks amongst others in his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spent around 40% of his total available funds for development works in his Lucknow constituency, for construction of school buildings, hand pumps, school for the differently abled, street lights, community buildings and rainwater harvesting units, amongst several other public works, according to data available from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
At the bottom of the ladder is Defence Minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, Manohar Parrikar who has neither spent a single penny nor has recommended any developmental work to be carried out in his Lucknow constituency, using his Rs 12.50 crore of available MPLAD fund.
Faring a little better is Union Agriculture Minister and MP from Bihar’s Purvi Champaran, Radha Mohan Singh who has spent just 17% of the money from the available fund of Rs 15 crore for carrying out works in his constituency.
Under the MPLAD scheme, each Member of Parliament (MP) is entitled to a fund of Rs 5 crore every year to carry out minor developmental works, like construction of parks, school buildings, lanes, sewers, arterial roads, toilets, crematoriums, installation of lights and beautification, amongst others, depending on the need of the constituents of the respective constituencies. The available fund is also a non re-lapsable and is carried forward to the next financial year and can be spent by the MPs till their term ends.
However, under MPLADS, the role of the MPs is limited only up to the recommendation of works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the respective district authorities to sanction and release the fund, and then execute and complete the works recommended by the MP within the stipulated time period.