NEW DELHI: Stating that there was some kind of miscommunication that had led to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) making comments about non-utilisation of constituency development funds by a large number of MLAs, Delhi Finance Minister A.K. Walia on Tuesday said it was wrong to state that funds had lapsed as no such thing had happened and they were being used for various schemes at present.

Referring to the CAG's comments on unspent funds belonging to a large number of MLAs, Dr. Walia said under this scheme the funds do not lapse for a three-year period and are carried over to the subsequent year with the approval of the Cabinet. As the process of planning takes some time and in view of the multiplicity of authority, situations do occur where funds are not spent during the same year although schemes for the same are already submitted by the MLAs concerned.

Dr. Walia said it would be wrong to blame the MLAs for not spending a large corpus of their funds, for delays could have occurred at various stages in the Government. The Minister also asserted that "efforts are being made to streamline the spending of such funds and from time to time improvements are made in the implementation of the scheme at the ground level".

A large number of MLAs whose names have cropped up in the CAG report are upset over the charge that they did not spend their funds properly. The MLAs maintained that they had given their nod for various schemes and the submitted the same for approval of the authorities concerned. "We had given our consent for various projects to the Urban Development Department. The money has not lapsed and the Delhi Cabinet approved all the projects that are already in the pipeline only 15 days ago and they will take off within the next few days," said Nasirpur MLA Mahabal Mishra.

Faced with the charge of not having spent Rs. 1 crore out of his MLA constituency development funds, Mr. Mishra said initially the practice was that after getting a letter of consent from the Urban Development Department the money was released to MCD along with the sanctioned plans. Now the Urban Development has issued new guidelines where details of the project have to be submitted first with the information where all the money would be invested. Then the same is released to the Corporation for initiating various developmental works. "This had led to the delay and therefore it is wrong to state that funds have been left unspent. The amount of work being done in the constituency itself reflects the fact that development is going at a fast pace in my area,'' Mr. Mishra added.

A similar explanation is being given by other MLAs who are faced with the same charge and they feel it is high time that the working of the entire fund and its spending method is reviewed.

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