AAP Government plans Rs 10 crore to MLAs for development

In an attempt to arm legislators with additional financial powers, the AAP government is reportedly in the process of brining in a proposal before the city Cabinet to provide an additional one-time allocation of Rs 10 crore to each MLA for carrying out developmental activities in their respective constituencies in the national capital. If the Cabinet clears the proposal, it will put an extra burden of Rs 700 crore on the state exchequer in the current financial year.

At present, each of the 70 legislators are entitled to an annual fund of Rs 4 crore under the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) scheme to carry out developmental works in their respective constituencies. As far as parliamentarians are concerned, each can spent an amount of Rs 5 crore every year on developmental works in his respective constituency.

A highly-placed source said that the urban development ministry has alr-eady allocated Rs 280 crore to all the 70 city legislators. Once the new proposal is cleared by the Cabinet, each MLA can spend an additional amount of Rs 10 crore on other developmental activities in their respective Assembly seats. And once projects are executed, the MLAs are bound to submit the fund utilisation certificates issued by the agencies concerned to the urban development department.

It is learnt that the new proposal is being drafted after deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in a note to the urban development minister on August 31 had observed that the condition of civil works in Delhi colonies was very pathetic. He had stated that the people of these colonies were looking towards elected government for carrying out construction/ maintenance works related to streets, parks, footpaths, street lights as early as possible. The municipal corporations have also failed for effectively carrying out such works for want of adequate funds.

A senior officer said: “The deputy chief minister has proposed to provide additional Rs 10 crore per Assembly constituency as a one-time measure under MLA LAD scheme. He also ensured that finance depa-rtment can make necessary arrangement of funds and the same may be ap-proved at revised Budget estimate by the government.”

Mr Sisodia had also observed that public needed the area MLA for carrying out different development works. He had said that only some of these works could be undertaken as only Rs 4 crore was released under MLA (LAD) scheme to each MLA. There has been a huge demand from MLAs for carrying out more development works all across the city.