As per the decision of the Central Government, Members of Parliament's Local Area Development Scheme/ Fund has been raised by the U.P.A. Government from Rs. 2 Crores to Rs.5 Crores and it will be effective from 1st of April, 2011. Under this scheme an additional expenditure of Rs. 2,370 crores per year is to be made. This decision of the Government of India has come to the public as surprise. The Government should ensure transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the Scheme at grass root level as there have been complaints of misusing this fund by the M.Ps in connivance with bureaucracy for for their vested interests. The distribution of this fund is also not equatable to the public of the area to which the particular Member Parliament belongs. Similar is the situation of the Member Parliament in Rajya Sabha. Proper distribution of the fund to the backward and needy areas are not being done where its utilisation is utmost important.
The Government should address the concerns of this enhanced scheme. It is specially important because in its latest review report, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has raised the question of diversion of funds, use of funds for private and commercial purposes, inflated estimates and misreporting of work progress besides wrong selection of work. The scheme's status report 1993-2010 shows encouraging trends with most states registering whopping 90% fund utilisation. The Government despite it should come clean over reports about irregularities in its implementation. This money belongs to the People of India and the Government and the Member Parliaments and the bureaucracy , the implementing agencies of the scheme should be made accountable , trans parents, and due responsibility be fixed while the scheme is being executed at the grass root level.
