MLAs fail to spend funds on time
Even though public representatives are always demanding more money for development of their constituencies, they do not utilize localarea development funds (LADF) fully if figures of 2008-09 are any indication.
Earlier, details of funds spent by MLAs were easily available to the media but after several reports highlighting non-utilization of LADF appeared, officials have sealed their lips citing pressure from MLAs.
State government had provided Rs 12.57 crore to eleven MLAs of the district as LADF for 2008-09. The MLAs had managed to spend only around Rs 6 crore while works worth Rs 5.47 crore were in progress as on March 31, 2009. Funds to the tune of Rs 1.10 crore had lapsed.
West Nagpur MLA Devendra Fadnavis said that he had completely utilized his LADF for each of the five years of his term and provided a certificate to this effect issued by district collector. When asked why funds for 2008-09 had not been completely spent by March 31, he said that usually his LADF was completely utilized before the end of financial year. However, in 2008-09 election code of conduct was imposed in March leading to delay in some works.
North Nagpur MLA Nitin Raut had spent only Rs 22.43 lakh out of Rs 160.62 lakh sanctioned to him. A Raut supporter said that MLAs were not able to spend their money on time because of cumbersome procedure and red-tape. "Many proposals submitted by MLAs are rejected by the collector on technical grounds. Sometimes, projects get stuck due to escalation in cost," he said.
Central Nagpur MLA Anees Ahmed told TOI that he had utilized his MLA funds to provide computers to several NMC schools and sewing machine to girls for making them economically independent. He had used the funds to renovate temples, build Buddha Vihars and providing amenities to the Haj House. Ahmed said that he was constructing a yatri niwas for Amarnath pilgrims now.
East Nagpur MLA Satish Chaturvedi said that he had used the funds to erect streetlights and electric poles. "Earlier, many areas in my constituency did not have streetlights and power supply but now even the unauthorized layouts and slums have these facilities," Chaturvedi said. He said he also used LADF to construct several community halls. "My constituency has a lot of poor people. I constructed these halls so that they could host social functions at minimal rent," he added.
Neither Ahmed nor Chaturvedi provided exact details of LADF expenditure for past five years or whether they had used the funds completely.
In spite of knowing that MLAs were not spending their LADF completely, the Democratic Front (DF) government in July sanctioned Rs 5 crore to ruling party MLAs and Rs 1 crore to opposition MLAs in urban areas. This has been challenged by farmer activist Kishor Tiwari in high court here. The court has sought reply from the government.
Tiwari told TOI that the government had sanctioned the funds for MLAs whose term was about to end. "How can it sanction the amount meant for the whole year. Will the new MLAs go without LADF until the next budget. This is totally unconstitutional," he added.
"The government's move is recipe for corruption. Many MLAs have lost their constituencies due to delimitation or reservation. Why would such MLAs spend the funds on their existing constituencies. They are bound to misappropriate the money," he added.
Tiwari said that misuse of LADF was rampant. "One MP of Vidarbha used the LADF to develop private layouts while another used it in his own schools. An MLA spent Rs 1 crore on streetlights because his brother manufactures the poles," he informed.
MLA Amount Amount spent
Sanctioned till 31.3.2009
S Chaturvedi 126.54 60.59
D Fadnavis 100.97 61.73
Nitin Raut 160.62 22.43
D Padole 128.78 37.39
A Ahmed 110.35 34.41
C Bawankule 105.91 85.92
A Deshmukh 106.29 23.88
R Bang 100.00 44.20
R Mulak 111.33 93.81
S Kedar 108.72 93.03
A Jaiswal 100.00 52.19
(All amounts in lakh rupees)