It may sound strange but the fact is that MlAs, which has been getting Rs 2.5 crore per annum under local Area Development (lAD) fund from the State Government has failed to spend the allotted amount in their constituency.
In Pauri and Chamoli district nine MlAs including six from Pauri and three from Chamoli are in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha but their lAD expenditure is very poor in comparison to the other district MlAs in this financial year 2013-14. According to RTI, MlAs have spent mere 9 percent of the lAD amount in Pauri district, while Chamoli MlA have failed to spend the lAD amount till October 2013.
It was disclosed by the Commissioner, State Rural Development, Pauri under Right of Information (RTI), in a questionnaire filed by RTI activist Nadim Uddin (Kashipur). As per the official communiqué under RTI, only 9 percent of Rs 12 crore lAD of six MlAs had spent so far till the month October 2013 in current financial year and the spent is Rs 1.04 crore.
MlA Surendra Singh Negi (Kotdwar) has spent 46 percent (Rs 92.40 lakh) out of six MlA in Pauri district while Vijaya Barthwal (Yamkeshwar) hasspent only 01 percent (Rs 1.60 lakhs), Srinagar MlA Ganesh Godiyal has spent 5 per centage (Rs 10 lakh) and remaining three MlAs namely Dilip Rawat (lansdown), Sunder lal Manderwal (Pauri) and Tirath Singh Rawat (choubattakhal) has not spent a single penny in their assembly constituency in the current financial year against the allotted Rs two crore each. It would be pertinent to mention here that each MlA get Rs 2.5 crore per annum under MlA lAD.
MlA lAD of Rs 15 crore of Six MlA in Pauri district for the year 2012-13, only 57 percent money have been spent in the district and the amount spent have been Rs 8.5318 crore till October 2012 for the last financial year 2012-13. MlA Surendra Singh Negi (Kotdwar) had spent 76 percent (Rs 1.9081 crore), Vijaya Barthwal had spent 42 percent (Rs 1.0537 crore), Tirith Singh Rawat spent 56 percent (Rs 1.4030 crore) and Dilip Singh Rawat spent 58 percent money (Rs 1.4460 crore).
In Chamoli district lAD was not spent by three MlA namely Rajendra Bhandari (Badrinath), Jeet Ram (Tharali) and Dr Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri (Karnprayag) till October 2013 of the current financial year. Although they had spent 30 percent (Rs 2.2188 crore) out of Rs 7.50 crore had been spent in the last financial year 2012-13.
MlA Bhandari had spent mere 4 percent (Rs 11.10 lakhs), MlA Maikhuri spent 27 percent (Rs 67.29 lakhs) and MlA Jeet Ram spent 57 percent (Rs 1.4349 crore) in the development.