It seems a complete letdown by Members of Parliament from Odisha in the 16th lok Sabha. As a year draws to an end, performance in using the MP local Area Development (MPlAD) fund looks very dismal.
Ironically, when Odisha direly needs more of potable drinking water, health centres, drains, schools and roads, MPs apparently are sitting pretty cool over their MPlAD with as many as 13 not utilising a single penny during 2014-15. Nine MPs did not deem it necessary to even recommend for sanction of amount. Except three, utilisation performance of around 18 MPs is much below the national average thereby tagging Odisha as worst performer among major States in the country.
Data with Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation shows that Odisha has the lowest utilisation of mere 7 per cent of MPlAD funds nationally in 2014-15. Significantly, when Sambalpur and Cuttack were being worst hit by jaundice epidemic, the MPlAD utilisation there stands perfect zero. Sixteen MPs have forfeited the second instalment mandated for a financial year.
However, MPs from Bhadrak, Bhubaneswar and Balangir show an utilisation rate higher than the national average. While Bhubaneswar MP Prassana Patsani scored the highest utilisation rate of 26 per cent in Odisha, Balangir’s Kalikesh Singh Deo and Bhadrak’s Arjun Sethi finished second and third with a rate of 17.2 and 16.3 per cent respectively.
It needs mentioning that since in the 16th lok Sabha BJD has made a clean sweep by winning 20 of the 21 seats, it now has a total control over all SC constituencies and all but one ST constituency in the State and their development or lack of it lies squarely on the party.
A performance appraisal shows poor show by BJD ST MPs compared to a good show by SC MPs. While all the SC MPs have an utilisation rate of 16-12 per cent, the ST MPs drew a perfect blank despite their constituencies being rated among the poorest districts in the country.
Worse, none of them even recommended the Ministry for sanction of a single rupee for their constituencies during 2014-15. Performance of Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram representing Sundergarh ST constituency looks better with over 10 per cent utilisation rate against whole State average of 7 per cent. Oram also availed 1st and 2nd instalments as mandated for a financial year.
However, highest utilisation of 95 per cent in a ST seat is recorded in Chhattisgarh and highest 40 – 50 per cent utilisation rate recorded in SC seats in Tamil Nadu.
Interestingly, it seems Odisha MPs are ignorant about the civic sense (drains, public toilets), drinking water and public health as most invest on community centres (not cyclone/flood shelters) and on parks.
Even post Swaach Bharat Abhiyan, the year has seen only around 29 new works taken up under sanitation and public health. Here too political divide manifests with BJP MP and Union Minister Oram edging out BJD MPs. Similarly, when in torrid summer people desperately search for potable water source in Ganjam, Gajapati, Balangir, Nuapada and Baragarh, the State sees only 97 new works under drinking water head.