Moneylife: Pune: Thursday, April 17, 2014.
Over Rs20,000 crore from the MP LADS were
disbursed since a decade, but there are no records. The funds allotted for MPs
to use for providing drinking water, public health, education, sanitation,
sports and roads are either unused or misused
The Member of Parliament (MP) Local Area
Development Scheme (LADS) funds, which were instituted in 1993 at Rs50 lakh per
year have grown to Rs5 crore per year in 2011. However, the usage of MPLADS
funds from all MPs of Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha, remain in controversy,
thanks to the opaqueness in their expenditure.
As per the Annual report for 2010-2011 by the
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which disburses these
funds, at least 45% to 60% of MPLADS funds in most of the states have been
spent on roads. Looks like most of our Parliamentarians, believe that creating
roads means development!
As per the guidelines of MP LAD funds, preference
of works under this scheme is to be given to works relating to national
priorities such as provision of drinking water, public health, education,
sanitation, sports and roads. However, as per the Annual Report findings, in
most of the States, only 1% to 7% money has been spent on public sanitation,
drinking water, electricity, health and family welfare. Except for Odisha,
Kerala, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Tripura, which
have spent between 20% to 50% money for education, other progressive states
have not spent beyond 3%-7%. Lakshadweep has been an exception, spending 100%
of the funds on education. Sports too is very low on the priority list of most
states that have spent not more than 3% of the funds except for North-East
states like Manipur and Mizoram who spent more than 20% of it.
The committee’s findings in the Annual Report also
observe that in 13 states/ union territories (UTs), Rs1.30 crore was used for
not admissible items like payment of honorarium/ wages/ travelling, expenses of
staff, fuel for official vehicles and purchase of laptops. It also observed
that no proper records were maintained; eight States executed 700 works costing
Rs9.45 crore without formal recommendations of the MPs; 150 works worth to
Rs2.44 crore were recommended by the representatives of the MPs. Nearly Rs15
crore were disbursed to private trusts/ societies beyond the permissible limit
of Rs25 lakh per trust and 145 illegal trusts were given around Rs6 crore from
the MP LAD funds. Works worth Rs20 crore for which the district collectorates
had already released money during 2004-2009, are yet to commence.
Besides the Annual Report, the website
www.mplads.nic.in is not abiding comprehensively by the Section 4 of the Right
to Information (RTI) Act. The website gives details of disbursed funds of MPs
but not the detailed proposals, progress of works and completion of works that
has been made mandatory. All citizens have the right to get information on the
detailed plan, progress and implementation of the MP funds and this has to be
mandatorily put up on the respective websites. However, this is not done. A
plaque has to be permanently put at the work site with the name of the MP and
that it is done from the MP LAD fund, but you hardly see such plaques.
As per the directives of the government, the
following norms of transparency under the RTI Act must be followed by the
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and all the district
authorities which implement the works. They are:
·
As per the provisions of the
RTI Act, 2005 and the rules framed there under, all citizens have the right to
information on any aspect of the MPLAD Scheme including works recommended/
sanctioned/ executed under it, cost of works sanctioned, implementing agencies,
quality of works completed, user agencies, etc. The district authorities are
responsible for providing information to the public in the manner required
under the RTI Act, 2005.
·
Under the guidelines, it has
been stipulated that for all works executed under the scheme, a plaque (stone/
metal) carrying the inscription ‘Member of Parliament Local Area Development
Scheme Works’ indicating the cost involved, the commencement, completion and
inauguration date and name of the MP sponsoring the project, should be erected
permanently.
·
The MPLADS guidelines
stipulate that the list of all completed and ongoing works with MPLADS funds
should be displayed at the District Authority Office and posted Background and
Policy on the website for information of the general public.
·
As per the Guidelines, there
is a stipulated time limit of 75 days for consideration of sanction for a
recommended work, and of one year for the completion of sanctioned work. In
case of rejection of a work recommended by an MP, District Authority is to
intimate to the MP within a period of 45 days with reasons thereof.
For greater transparency, it has been directed:
·
District Authorities are to
provide information on any aspect of MPLAD Scheme, such as works recommended by
MPs, works sanctioned/ not sanctioned, cost of works sanctioned, implementing agencies
and quality of work completed to the general public in the manner as required
under the RTI Act, 2005, as the implementation of the scheme has been brought
under the purview of the said Act.
·
There is a MPLADS website
(www.mplads.nic.in ) where information on release of funds, details of works
completed and under execution are available. The District Authority is required
to upload the work details on the website to make them available in the public
domain.
·
In order to bring
transparency and accountability at the ground level and to promote
e-governance, software for monitoring MPLADS works was launched in November
2004. The software enables online monitoring of details of works and the
analysis of this data is used to bring out various reports, once the data entry
and uploading in respect of a constituency or a Rajya Sabha MP is completed.
The modus operandi of these funds are as follows:
· The Members of Parliament-MPs
have a recommendatory role under the MP LAD Scheme. They recommend their choice
of works to the concerned District Authorities who implement these works by
following the established procedures of the concerned State Government.
· The District Authority is
empowered to examine the eligibility of works, sanction funds and select the
Implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and
monitor the scheme at the ground level. The District Authorities get the works
executed through the line departments, local self governments or other
government agencies. In some cases, the District Authorities get the works
executed through reputed non- government organizations (NGOs).
· Members from the Lok Sabha
can recommend works in their respective constituencies. The elected members of
the Rajya Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the state from which they are
elected. Nominated Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select works
for implementation anywhere in the country.
· There is no limit for works
to be executed by government agencies. However, as per the background and
policy, there is a ceiling of Rs25 lakh for works meant for the life time of
each Trust/ Society. An MP can recommend funds only up to Rs50 lakh in a financial
year from MPLADS funds for works to societies/ trusts.
· MPLADS works can be
implemented in areas affected by natural calamities like, floods, cyclone,
hailstorm, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, landslides, tornado,
earthquake, drought, Tsunami, fire, chemical, biological and radiological
hazards. MPs from the non-affected areas of the state can also recommend
permissible works up to a maximum of Rs10 lakh per annum in the affected
area(s) in that state.
· All recommended eligible
works should be sanctioned within 75 days from the date of receipt of the
recommendation, after completing all formalities. The District Authority shall,
however, inform MPs regarding rejection, if any, within 45 days from the date
of receipt of recommendations, with reasons thereof.”
· The time frame for completion
of works should be stipulated to the implementing agency and should not
normally exceed one year.
LIST OF WORKS NOT PERMISSIBLE UNDER MPLADS:
•
Office buildings, residential
buildings, and other buildings relating to Central or State Governments,
Departments, Agencies or Organisations.
• Works belonging to commercial
organisations, private institutions or co-operative institutions.
•
Repair and maintenance works
of any type other than special repairs for restoration/ up-gradation of any
durable asset.
•
Memorials or memorial
buildings.
•
Acquisition of land or any
compensation for land acquired.
•
Assets of individual benefit
except those which are part of approved schemes.
•
Places for religious worship.