At least 15 legislators, during zero hour of the State Assembly on Thursday, demanded an increase in the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLALAD) fund from Rs 4 crore to Rs 10 crore annually – a development, which they said, would help the MLAs serve the local people better in the time of inflation.
Legislators Uma Shankar Akela, JP Patel, Kishun Das, Mathura Mahto, Amba Prasad, Aparna Sen, Indrajit Mahato, Kedar Hajra, Biranchi Narayan, Amit Yadav, Lambodar Mahto, Anant Ojha, Alok Chourasia, Narayan Das and Naman Kongari sought the increase in the MLALAD fund during the zero hour. “The MLALAD fund of Rs 4 crore is not enough to ensure all development works in the local area. I therefore request the Government to increase the MLALAD fund to Rs 10 crore annually,” said Congress MLA from Barkagaon, Amba Prasad.
The legislators who sought an increase in the MLALAD fund represented different parties in the house.
Many of them were from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which sits in the opposition in the Assembly. While seeking an increase in the MLALAD fund, some legislators on Thursday also cited the example of the Delhi Government, which in 2018 increased the MLALAD fund from Rs 4 crore to Rs 10 crore. “In Delhi, one MLA represents one lakh people and still their fund was increased. In Jharkhand, one MLA represents at least 3 lakh people, so our development fund should also increase,” said AJSU Party legislator Lambodar Mahto.
Currently, all legislators in the 81-member Assembly here get an annual fund of Rs 4 crore for spending on development works in their respective areas. The legislators may use the fund for developing infrastructure or repair works needed in their area.
An MLA may even use this fund for relief to survivors and victims of mishaps.
Some BJP legislators also staged protest outside the Assembly building on Thursday demanding probe into the alleged hunger death of Bhukhal Ghasi, an unemployed villager of Bokaro district who reportedly died due to hunger. BJP legislators also demanded job and Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of Ghasi. The legislators stood outside the Assembly carrying posters highlighting Ghasi’s mysterious death and alleged inaction of the Government.
Ghasi, who died in the first week of March, is survived by five children – three daughters and two sons. The Bokaro district administration denied Ghasi’s hunger death and said that he was suffering from some disease. Ghasi’s ration card was in the name of his father, Ramu Ghasi. However, the card had expired after Ramu died, and Bhukhal did not get a ration card on his name.