The MlA local Area Development fund utilised by the 70 MlAs has come under serious scrutiny under a recently conducted audit. The audit was conducted for MlA lAD fund spent between April 2012 and March 2012. Now the audit report has made sensational revelation specifying that the MlA lAD is not being spent on specified purposes.
As per Government guidelines, the MlA lAD fund can be used for 27 areas for development purposes but the MlAs did not spend even a single rupee on issues of public importance in the Capital — hostel for working women, construction of sports complex, development of common areas, construction of school building, public libraries and computers for schools.
“Prime objective of this scheme was to provide sustainable civic facilities including community infrastructure based on locally felt needs in the NCT of Delhi on the recommendations of MlAs….As the works were to be sanctioned within the parameters of the scheme, a broad analysis of the expenditure of Rs463 crore during the year 2012-13 and 2013-14 was undertaken in the audit to determine the level of compliance,” stated the audit report. This audit found that no spending was made on 12 important schemes out of total 27 heads specified for expenditure under MlA lAD fund.
All the 70 MlAs in Delhi get Rs4 crore each under the MlA lAD scheme for carrying out various infrastructure projects in their constituencies. The Urban Development department of the Delhi Government is the nodal agency for release of the funds.
This audit has made serious objections on the construction of chaupals in the Capital. While no spending was made to provide computers to schools and hostel for working women when safety of women is a huge concern in the Capital, at least 24 chaupals were made during the aforesaid audit period of two fiscal in the Capital.
The audit was surprised that chaupals were sanctioned for Balmiki Samaj, Muslim Samaj, Yadav Samaj, Jain Samaj, Harizan Samaj etc. Here the audit report has raised serious objections that the sanction of work for construction of chaupals was not advisable because the Government of Delhi has a dedicated plan scheme under rural development department for the construction of chaupals.
So when plan fund was already being provided to rural development department, there was no need for construction of 24 chaupals from MlA lAD fund. The audit objection was not confined to construction of chaupals. In fact, the ownership issue of new buildings was not ascertained before the sanction of the work. Its maintenance was also not decided nor the procedure for booking of the building for the users.