Vidhan Sabha election drawing near, the MlAs are worried as the major portion of the funds meant for developing their constituencies under MlA local Area Development Fund are not being released. It is learnt that Rs1.5 crore out of Rs2.5 crore is yet to be released by the State administration. MlA Rajkumar said that despite the Cabinet having approved the same, the funds have remained elusive for them. He said that the State administration has been sitting on them, citing fund crunch.
“The rains on, Government buildings, schools, panchayat bhawans, roads and the like have been damaged in my constituency. Security walls of several buildings have collapsed. When I inspected them local residents of various areas informed me of the State of things. I also saw how things were. I found many Government buildings, including schools and panchayat bhawans, in a damaged State. Roads are crumbling. Security walls have collapsed. Things are grim on the ground. I have spent around Rs80 lakhs out of one crore given to me under the MlA local Area Development Fund meant for providing basic amenities to the residents in the constituency for this financial year.
However, the remaining fund of Rs1.5 crore is yet to be released. If it is released I would be in a position to address the concerns of the local residents,” MlA Rajkumar added.
It is learnt that Dehradun district development office has received proposals such as building of cement concrete roads (CC Road), boundary walls, community halls, providing minor irrigation projects, erecting electricity poles and the like from the MlAs.
Funds were released after the proposals were received. But the fund allotted was limited to Rs1 crore. Things are uncertain when the rest Rs1.5 crore come their ways. More proposals would reach the district development department from the MlAs once the fund is released. However, nobody knows when the fund would be released with the State being down with fund crunch.
“But we are helpless too. The election is barely a few months away. In case the fund does not come on time many of our development plans would remain unfulfilled on the ground with the tenure of the present Assembly ending fast,” said a Congress MlA who requested anonymity.
Now, the MlAs across the political spectrum are on a spending spree. They are spending the allotted funds as speedily as possible to be in positions to demand more. As per the report received from the district office, In this financial year, Cantt MlA Harbans Kapur has spent Rs98.86 lakh out of Rs1 crore while Rs95 lakh was spent by Dharampur MlA Dinesh Aggarwal.
While Rs92.5 lakh was spent by Doiwala MlA Hira Singh Bisht Rs96.43 was spent by Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi. The figure stands at Rs70 lakh for Vikasnagar MlA Nav Prabhat, it is Rs90 lakh for Chakrata MlA and State Home Minister Pritam Singh. It is Rs80 lakh for Rajpur MlA Rajkumar while it is Rs75.26 lakh for Rishikesh MlA Premchandra Aggarwal, Rs90.44 lakh for Sahaspur MlA Sahdev Pundir and Rs1 crore for the nominated MlA RV Gardner.
Observers say that it has become a trend for the MlAs to spend fast the local area development funds in the final leg of their tenure to endear themselves more to the electorate, eyes fixed on election. “Such a zeal to spend development funds should be there throughout their tenure,” a State watcher said.