Gujarat MPs spend only ₹10 cr out of ₹254 cr development funds in a year

Amid big talks of development, Gujarat’s MPs have spent only a fraction of the funds allocated for their constituencies. 

Over the past year, Gujarat’s 26 MPs received ₹254 crore under the MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) scheme but utilised just ₹10.72 crore, a mere 4.2% of the available funds.

The MPLAD scheme allows MPs to fund essential works like roads, health facilities, water supply, and education in their constituencies, with each MP allocated ₹9.08 crore annually. However, the data reveals that development on the ground has been severely neglected.

Bharuch saw the highest spending at ₹1.73 crore, followed by Patan at ₹1.56 crore and Sabarkantha at ₹1.08 crore, while minimal amounts were spent in Amreli, Bhavnagar, Bardoli, and Anand. In 14 Lok Sabha constituencies, not a single project was completed under MPLAD in the past year.

While MPs made 3,823 recommendations for projects, only 93 were completed, exposing the gap between promises and delivery. MPs from Navsari, Mehsana, and Kheda made the highest number of recommendations, but many MPs did not make any recommendations at all.

The lack of utilisation has raised questions about the commitment of MPs toward constituency development, indicating a deeper disconnect between elected representatives and voters’ basic needs, even as the funds meant for public welfare lie unused.