Chaudhary doles out Rs 3.9 cr for his son’s constituency

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 18

Of the Rs 16.57 crore that Jalandhar Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh has spent from his discretionary Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds so far, nearly Rs 3.9 crore have been spent only in the Phillaur constituency from where his son Vikramjit Singh 

Chaudhary had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections.

While as much amount has been spent, his proposals for at least two dozen more projects for Phillaur are still pending, awaiting sanction from the authorities concerned. 

Rs 3.9 crore have been spent on various works such as construction of streets, verandahs of schools and cremation grounds, laying of sewage lines and water pipes, setting up of libraries and gyms and installation of streetlights.

Funds have been utilised in Phillaur, Goraya and Rurka Kalan. When the Union government rolled out ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna’, Chaudhary Santokh Singh made his son to pick Ganna Pind village from his constituency, where he has sanctioned funds from his MPLAD funds.

In contrast, the Jalandhar MP has been quite unfair with his nephew and Kartarpur legislator Chaudhary Surinder Singh, where he has doled out only Rs 22.69 lakh for eight works. In comparison, he was inclined towards Phillaur where he has completed 142 works.

Compared percentage wise, Chaudhary Santokh Singh spent 23.53 per cent of his funds in his son’s constituency and 0.05 per cent in his nephew’s constituency. 

After Phillaur, if there is any other constituency which Chaudhary Santokh Singh favoured is Adampur, from where his son had applied for the Assembly ticket. 

His third favourite remains Jalandhar West Assembly constituency. 

Chaudhary Santokh Singh has not denied being more favourable to Phillaur, when media persons asked him the question last week. 

With 4.5 years of his tenure, he got Rs 5 crore as discretionary funds every year, Rs 8.5 crore grant is still left to be doled out.

A few days ago Chaudhary Santokh Singh at Congress Bhawan told the Congress MLAs and councillors, “I have already been giving out grants to all. If there is more work left to be undertaken falling in your areas, you can send me proposals. I will try to get them cleared.”