Lok Sabha Question No. 1306 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-23
Subject: MPLAD Funds
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: B. S. YEDDYURAPPA, VINCENT H PALA, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, RODMAL NAGAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1306

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 23 RD  NOVEMBER, 2016

## MPLAD FUNDS

1306.   SHRI B.S. YEDIYURAPPA: SHRI VINCENT H. PALA: SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS: SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any proposal for consideration to  enhance annual allocation under MPLAD scheme is pending with the Government and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  usefulness  of MPLADS in the villages;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and any third party monitoring is being conducted for the same;
- (d) whether the Government releases the fund of MPLAD to the concerned department in time; and
- (e) if not, the steps being taken for speedy release of funds in the future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION

## [SHRI  D.V. SADANANDA GOWDA]

(a): A  joint  representation  of  MPs  was  received  in  this  Ministry through  Prime  Minister's  Office  to  enhance  annual  allocation  of MPLADS funds. Earlier, in similar requests, Department of Expenditure  had  communicated  that  they  were  not  in  favour  of increasing the allocation. The joint representation of MPs has been referred  to  Department  of  Expenditure,  Ministry  of  Finance  for reconsideration.

(b) & (c): The  objective of the scheme  is  to enable MPs  to recommend  works  of  developmental  nature  with  emphasis  on  the creation  of  durable  community  assets  based  on  the  locally  felt needs to be taken up in their Constituencies. Right from inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary  education,  public  health,  sanitation  and  roads,  etc.  are being created. The  Ministry  undertakes  third  party  physical  monitoring  of  the MPLADS works in selected districts through independent agencies from time to time. In the last phase, 100 districts were covered in the physical monitoring wherein the independent monitoring agency [Agricultural  Finance  Corporation  Limited  (AFC)]  took  a  sample  of total 5615 works costing Rs.412 crore. AFC in its report concluded that about 82% works were in the Rural Areas and 18% works were in the Urban/Semi Urban areas. The share of rural and urban area in aggregate cost was 78% and 22% respectively. It  was  also  reported  that  the  scheme  has created  various  durable community  assets  which  have  impacted  the  social,  cultural  and economic life of the local community in one way or the other. (d) & (e): Release  of  funds  under  the  MPLADS  at  the  Central Government level as well as at the District level is governed by the provisions contained in the Guidelines on MPLADS. The  first  installment  of  MPLADS  funds  is  released  subject  to submission of provisional Utilisation Certificate (UC) of the previous year  for  at  least  80%  of  expenditure  of  the  first  instalment  of  the previous year. The second installment is released on submission of Monthly Progress Report (MPR) reflecting unsanctioned balance of less than Rs.100 lakh and unspent balance of less than Rs.250 lakh with the District Authority along with the Utilisation Certificate (UC) of the previous financial year and Audit Certificate (AC) of the year prior to the previous year. As soon as the requisite documents and certifications  are  received,  the  funds  are  released  by  the  Central Government. Government through the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation continuously emphasizes on expeditious utilisation of funds and timely submission of required documents and certifications for further release of funds.

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