The Hindu : New Delhi News : MLA area development fund hits a roadblock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 25, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MLA area development fund hits a roadblock

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 24. The ruling and opposition members of the Delhi Assembly are crying foul over continuing delay in release of the MLA Area Development Fund resulting in stalling of all developmental works in the 70 constituencies across Delhi. As usual, the State Finance Department is sitting on the issue for some "mysterious reasons'' even as almost four months of the current financial year have gone by without achieving anything substantial.

A whopping Rs. 140 crores of the MLA Area Development Fund is at stake and the Government does not seem to be losing sleep over it. Important pre-monsoon works, which should have been carried out in various constituencies by the MLAs, are pending in the absence of funds. The file relating to the release of funds is still doing the rounds of the corridors of power creating strong resentment among the MLAs.

The "development agenda'' of the Sheila Dikshit Government seems to be hitting a roadblock and already the legislators are worried if they would be able to utilise the money properly even if it is released immediately. "It has been almost four months and nothing seems to be moving. Nobody is sure about the fate of the file relating to release of funds. The Finance Department, headed by Principal Secretary (Finance). M.K. Bezbaruah, has become a speed breaker. This should not be allowed to happen,'' remarked a senior Congress MLA.

Each MLA gets Rs. 2 crores under this head of which Rs. 1 crore is meant for works to be done by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the other Rs. 1 crore is utilised by the MLA for other works. The money to be allocated to the MCD under this head is channelised through the Urban Development Department. The other Rs. 1 crore is released by the Finance Department after receiving the consent of the MLA for various works. However, the Urban Development Department has not been able to release the money to the MCD as the Finance Department continues to sit on the file. The sudden illness of the Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, has further complicated matters as no one is able to give direction on this issue. Now in the absence of Dr. Walia, the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is handling his Departments, but she is also probably not in the know of things regarding the holding back of such an important file.

The officials in the Finance Department and some other segments of the Delhi Government have been upset with the functioning of the Finance Ministry as such. "It is probably for the first time that all kinds of objections are being raised by the Finance Department for no valid reason. Various projects and financial sanctions take months together in view of the continued objections raised by the Department. We are just waiting for Mr. Bezbaruah's retirement on July 30 and then will make a new beginning,'' a senior official remarked.

However, this is hardly going to give any respite to the MLAs who feel that red-tapism in the Finance Department and lack of any direction on part of the political leadership could well make things difficult for them. Officials of the MCD and other Departments have been visiting the MLAs for release of funds. Various plans have been drawn up but nothing seems to be moving. "Whoever is responsible for such a situation should be taken to task. The entire system has been brought to a standstill and the Government continues to be in a slumber with no intentions to make things move,'' another MLA remarked.

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