17th LS MPLAD: 21 MPs from Odisha, only 1 MP recommends work!

Bhubaneswar: A big let down! Odisha has sent 21 Members to the 17^th Lok Sabha (LS). The financial year is drawing to an end, but the shocker is only a lone LS MP has recommended the first installment of the total annual entitlement of Rs 5 crore provided under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD).

A glance at the data with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) shows, only one LS MP, Bishweswar Tudu, (MP from Mayurbhanj Constituency) has recommended Rs 2.49 crore till date. Tudu is a member of BJP.

As per MPLAD guidelines, the first instalment of Rs 2.5 crore is released at the time of constitution of Lok Sabha. Accordingly, the Centre has provisioned its first instalment sum of Rs 2.5 crore to all the 21 MPs of the State in July 2019.

The eye-popping truth is till date none of the LS MPs, except Tudu, have recommended the first instalment of the annually entitled fund released by the Centre.

What seems disconcerting here is a Rs zero recommendation by a LS MPs will prove a big hurdle for him/her in receiving the second instalment. Because, the MPLAD guidelines have very clearly stated that a member is entitled to 2nd instalment when the unspent balance under the account stood at below Rs 2.5 crore as on March 31, 2020.

A look at the data reveals only Mayurbhanj MP Bishwesar Tudu has an unspent balance of Rs 2.45 crore. As a consequence, he is entitled for receiving 2nd instalment sum of Rs 2.5 crore.

What would be the fallout? The observed trend over the years is delay in recommendation creates a vicious cycle of non-sanctioning of the later instalments. The result: Unspent balances under MPLAD accounts in Odisha remained high.

Consider the case of the preceding Lok Sabha (16th LS). An analysis of MPLAD of 16th Lok Sabha shows that Odisha had held the dubious rank of number three from bottom in proportion of unutilised MPLAD funds during the 16th Lok Sabha (LS). Odisha had fared poorer than, even, Bihar in MPLAD implementation, the analysis showed.

In 16th Lok Sabha, a high of around 19 per cent or nearly Rs 77 crore lies unutilised till March end 2019, which was 3rd worst nationally.

While senior administrators blamed the district administration for Odisha's poor performance in LS MPLAD utilisation, the cruel fact here is MPs have not recommended any work to the district administration till date, reveals the Mospi data.

The analysis of unspent fund in 16 th LS puts the blame on district administration for failing to submit UCs (utilisation certificates), eligible MPR (monthly progress reports) and audit certification to the Centre in stipulated time.

It is important to mention here that under MPLAD, MPs have a recommendatory role. The district administration is responsible for implementation of the recommended projects.

The curious element here is Hon'ble MPs fail to discharge their recommendatory role.