Gujarat Lok Sabha MPs spent only 21% of funds in nearly 3 years

With the 18th Lok Sabha set to complete three years on June 4, data shows that MPs from Gujarat have utilised only a small portion of the development grants allocated to them under the MPLADS scheme. Out of the total ₹384 crore allocated to 26 Lok Sabha MPs from the state, only ₹82.47 crore has been spent so far, amounting to just 21% utilisation.

Under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each Lok Sabha MP receives ₹5 crore annually for recommending development works in their constituency.

Over a five-year term, MPs can recommend projects worth up to ₹25 crore. However, while MPs only recommend projects, the implementation, tendering and expenditure processes are handled by district collectors, government departments and district rural development agencies under the supervision of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Among Gujarat MPs, Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava has recorded the highest utilisation of MPLADS funds. He spent ₹5.75 crore out of the ₹14.70 crore allocated to him, utilising 39.1% of the grant.

Patan’s Bharatsinh Dabhi ranked second with 37.94% utilisation, followed by Amreli’s Bharat Sutariya at 34.61%, Navsari’s C R Patil at 33.83% and Junagadh’s Rajesh Chudasama at 31.50%.

Several prominent MPs from Gujarat have spent less than 15% of their allocated funds.

These include Gandhinagar’s Amit Shah, Ahmedabad West’s Dinesh Makwana, Ahmedabad East’s Hasmukh Patel, Dahod’s Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, Banaskantha’s Geniben Thakor, Panchmahal’s Rajpalsinh Jadav, Jamnagar’s Poonamben Madam, Porbandar’s Mansukh Mandaviya and Bardoli’s Prabhubhai Vasava.