Utilisation of MPLAD funds far from satisfactory

In the shadow of Dushyant 

The INLD describe Sirsa MP Charanjit Singh Rori as a simple, honest and a hardworking Member of Parliament. But ask his rivals and they say he is a dummy in the hands of his party leaders.

They have a reason for their contention. He participated in three debates against the national average of 17.8, asked 29 questions against the national average of 69 and brought no private bill against the national average of 0.5.

“Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala is the party’s leader in Lok Sabha. So he participates more in the House proceedings,” Rori says.

The MP admits he has been unable to bring any project for his constituency. “The BJP governments at the Centre as well as in Haryana have been discriminating against Sirsa. I tried my best to bring new trains to Sirsa and met Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala in this regard. But the Centre continues to be indifferent towards my segment,” he says.

The MP claims that he has utilised the entire amount of Rs 2.5 crore released so far on five Assembly segments (Dabwali, Kalanwali, Rania, Ellenabad and Sirsa) and would spend Rs 2.5 crore in the second year on Fatehabad, Tohana and Ratia. The money, he says, has been spent on “dhanis” (hamlets) and “gaushalas” (cowsheds).

The website, mplad.nic.in, however, shows funds has not been utilised.

State Congress president Ashok Tanwar, however, describes Rori’s one year in office as a fiasco. “No new project was sanctioned for Sirsa ever since my term ended in 2014. The four-laning of the NH-10, a railway overbridge at Dabwali and some other projects launched during my tenure are moving at a snail’s pace. Trains brought for the area during my term have been stopped,” the former Sirsa MP said.

Sushil Manav

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Hopes to carry on with the ‘good work’

Sonepat MP Ramesh Chander Kaushik is satisfied with his performance in the past one year and “hopes to carry forward the good work”.

“My priority is to strengthen the road network and early completion of the Sonepat-Gohana-Jind rail line. Besides ensuring that roads are widened, I will make efforts to get approval for the construction of either rail overbridges or underbridges on all cuts on the GT road from Kundli to Samalkha,” he says.

As for his performance in Lok Sabha, it has been satisfactory; his attendance percentage is 99, higher than the national and state average which is 85 per cent and 87 per cent, respectively. He asked 37 questions related to the Railways, agriculture and sports. Besides, he participated in debates nine times.

Kaushik adopted Datoli village under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. “Datoli has population of nearly 12,000, mostly from the backward classes and Scheduled Castes with a literacy rate of 56 per cent,” the MP says.

On the delay in the construction of the Sonepat-Gohana-Jind railway line, Kaushik said: “I am a member of a parliamentary committee on railways and took up the matter during its meeting. The construction of the railway line is likely to be complete by the year-end.” 

The MP plans to provide toilets in every house in nearly 500 villages of his constituency. “I have already released my entire share of MPLAD funds for one year for several development works. Of the total amount, Rs 1.5 crore has been utilised.”

People termed Kaishik’s performance satisfactory he was easily available, listened to the public complaints and made efforts to redress them. Opposition leaders, however, said one year was not enough to pass a verdict on Kaushik’s working.

Dharmendra Joshi, BS Malik

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MP claims 60% of promises fulfilled

Krishan Pal Gurjar, BJP MP from Faridabad, claims he has fulfilled 60 per cent of his promises made during the Lok Sabha elections last year.

“Work on several projects has either started or slated to take off soon,” he said, adding that Rs 173-crore project of a bridge over the Yamuna river to connect Faridabad with Greater Noida had been taken up. “Several projects concerning the construction of roads, highways, rail overbridges, underpasses, colleges, dispensaries, parks and community centres have been sanctioned. These will cost more than Rs 400 crore.”

The Union Minister of State’s attendance in Parliament has been 100 per cent and he answered several queries.

He claims to be available in his constituency three to four days a week.

The areas crying for attention has been civic amenities, water supply, drainage, health and educational infrastructure. 

It has been claimed that a comprehensive plan for a drainage project was under work and the work would be started soon. The Ranneywell water project could be taken up after a loan of Rs 103 crore was arranged.

It has been learnt that not a single rupee from the MPLAD funds has been utilised. 

Congress leader Karan Dalal claimed Gurjar did not address any public issue and the change in his portfolio from the Minister of State for Roads, Transport and Highways to the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment (less important portfolio) within a few months indicated the importance accorded to Faridabad. 

“The fruit of development is yet to be seen,” said Devender Singh Surjewala, a social activist.

Bijendra Ahlawat

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Yet to prove his commitment

In spite of being one of the most active parliamentarians in the 16th Lok Sabha, Ambala MP Rattan Lal Kataria is yet to prove his commitment to the electorate.

He has been seen raising his voice in the Lower House over the upgrade of Cantonment railway station, revival of HMT Institute in Pinjore, formulation of sewerage system schemes, revival of the Saraswati river and setting up Saraswati Research Institute, but not much has been done on the ground.

Other than the revival of the Saraswati river and an approval for the four-laning of the Yamunanagar-Chandigarh highway (which have been his significant contribution), Kataria has no other project to his credit. 

In the past one year, Kataria participated in 44 debates and asked 110 questions. Besides, his attendance in the House was 98 per cent and did not move any private bill in the House.

His promises included a defense university for Ambala, a world-class railway station at Ambala Cantt, declaration of Shivalik zone as an industrial backward area, and revival of Jagadhri steel industry, Yamunanagar plywood industry and Ambala scientific instrument industry. All promises are yet to be fulfilled. Kataria’s efforts to see a better sewerage system in Ambala and revival of the Patvi solid waste treatment plant are yet to bear fruit, though work on the projects has been revived. Of his share of MPLAD funds for first year, the MP has not utilised a single rupee.

Kataria does not visit the eight Assembly segments of his parliamentary constituency very often and those seeking a meeting with him, have to travel to his Panchkula house or Delhi. 

The public says Kataria is vocal in Parliament, but his words have failed to translate into development for the constituency. 

Manish Sirhindi

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Rhetoric of ‘bias’ plays out again  

The progress witnessed by the Rohtak constituency during the decade preceding the installation of the BJP governments at the Centre seems to have slowed down in the past one year.

The constituency has been unable to bag any significant project in the recent past, while several Central projects got sanctioned by Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda are hanging fire despite his repeated requests to the government.

Thus, in spite of the MP’s good performance in terms of his frequent visits (three to four days a week) to the constituency, fair attendance (79 per cent) and substantial participation in debates in Lok Sabha (20), and several announcements under the MPLAD funds, his constituency faces decelerated development.

“My constituency is being discriminated against. Several big projects such as AIIMS-II and National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, extension campuses of IIT-Delhi in Jhajjar and Sonepat, Precision Engineering University at IMT-Rohtak, Rohtak-Meham-Hansi railway line and Rohtak railway bypass, saw no progress in one year,” Deepender said.

Owing to his efforts and creditable performance as an MP during his consecutive tenures in the UPA-I and UPA-II, voters of the constituency stood behind Deepender and elected him for the third consecutive time in the 2014 General Election.  

While the Congress-led UPA government was at the helm of affairs at the Centre, Deepender's father Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the Haryana Chief Minister during his first two tenures. Making the most of it, the MP got several big projects approved for his constituency. However, the progress of several Central projects sanctioned during his previous tenures hit a roadblock during his third term, with him being a part of the Opposition.  

Sunit Dhawan