J&K MPs fail to use their funds

 Members of Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir have failed to use more than Rs 33 crore under the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) resulting in withholding of funds to the tune of more than Rs 41 crore by the centre.

Audit paragraph of the Principal Accountant General (Audit), J&K, reveals that an amount of more than Rs 154 crore was released under MPLAD scheme for use by Upper House members Ghulam Nabi Azad, Saif-ud-Din Soz, G N Rattanpuri, Mohammad Shafi Uri and Lower House members Farooq Abdullah, Mehboob Beigh, Sharif-ud-Din Shariq, Chowdhury Lal Singh, Madan Lal Sharma and Ghulam Hassan Khan.

However, except Soz, all other MPs could spend only Rs 121 crore, rendering Rs Rs 33 crore unspent. Due to poor utilisation of the released funds, the central government withheld further release of a total of Rs 41.50 crore and J&K failed to get benefit of cumulative Rs 76.26 crore.

In case of Soz, there is neither unspent amount nor withholding of further release.

The report said that against an amount of Rs 68.29 crore released by the centre under MPLAD scheme in favour of Congress MP Azad, an amount of Rs 21.7 crore remained unspent as a result of which further release of Rs 12.50 crore was withheld by the centre.

Similarly, against Rs 14.32 crore released in favour of National Conference MP Dr Beg, Rs 2.19 crore remained unspent and further release of Rs 5 crore got blocked, while another NC MP Ratanpuri could not use Rs 1.44 crore out of released Rs 12.10 crore.

Against Rs 15.27 crore released under MPLAD scheme in respect of NC’s Abdullah, an amount of Rs 4.52 crore remained unspent resulting into blocking of further release of Rs 5 crore.

Taking serious note of these observations, the Planning and Development Department has sought reply to the observations from the nodal District Development Commissioners of the respective areas.