This queen leaves it to the people to decide
For the 51-year-old native of Namakkal and Rasipuram K Rani, the MPLAD scheme was a great way of developing her constituency. A reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes, Rasipuram comprised Chinnasalem, Attur, Talavasal, Rasipuram, Sendamangalam and Namakkal areas. Under the delimitation of constituencies, Rasipuram constituency has now been done away with. Every year, the MP holds a meeting along with all alliance party leaders and the local people. “I leave it to the people to decide what they want to do with the Rs 35 lakh that I allot to each assembly constituency that comes in my constituency,” she adds. While she has focused on civic works, a complaint against her is that she failed to spend enough on one of the most pressing needs of her constituency, which is bringing healthcare closer to the people. But, “we can do only what people ask for,” she refutes. Of the allotted amount of Rs 10 crore, Rani has spent Rs 8 crore on 380 projects and further Rs 2.9 crore worth schemes are ongoing. She has spent more than half her funds on roadworks, built a checkdam in Namakkal and two in Salem, built culverts, focused on improving sanitation and water supply facilities. She has also built community centres.
K Rani
Constituency: Rasipuram
Party: Congress;
Age: 51
Significant Expenditure
Rs 8 crore on 380 projects+ Rs 2.9 crore ongoing projects
Roadworks = more than Rs 4 crore
Supply channel = Rs 0.63 crore
Maternity unit = Rs 0.10 crore
12 Community centers = Rs 0.52 crore
Water Supply = Rs 0.10 crore
Sanitation =Rs 0.51 crore
Check dams = Rs 0.04 crore
Chennai boy still has his father’s dream to fulfil
Dayanidhi Maran fought the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 from the Chennai Central constituency, which was synonymous with his father, the late Murasoli Maran. Once the star among the DMK’s Union ministers, he fell out of favour with his grand-uncle, M Karunanidhi two years ago and was stripped of his post. Recently the brothers managed to make up with the DMK chief and Dayanidhi is back at the chief minister’s side.
With traffic and flooding being the key problems plaguing his constituency, one of Maran’s ambitions was to fulfil his father’s dream of completing the flyover in congested Perambur but the project has been long delayed due to a change in government and bad soil conditions. So he proposed to extend the over bridge at Perambur Loco Works Salai in 2006 instead. Maran’s allotted Rs 10 crore was supplemented by funds accrued since his father hadn’t released funds since 2002-03. Overall, Maran has spent nearly Rs 6 crore on more than 40 projects. Three projects, including the loco works project are ongoing at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore.
Maran has spent more than Rs 3 crore, on improving educational facilities in his constituency. A two-storey polytechnic institute has come up and computers were given to Corporation schools. Though the last floods left parts of his constituency marooned without any supplies for nearly a week, the MP spent only Rs 42 lakh on building storm water drains. “The Corporation is supposed to build storm water drains. I would rather use my funds on other projects that will not be funded by any government agency,” explains Maran.
To that end, he has been beautifying his constituency. The May Day Park, for instance has received the MP’s special attention with a gym being constructed among other refurbishments. He has also built a Unani hospital, public toilets and spent on roadworks. Having spent most of his life in Chennai, Maran can’t think of representing any other constituency in Parliament. “I grew up here. I did my schooling in Egmore, college in Nungambakkam and got married in Teynampet,” he points out.
Dayanidhi Maran
Constituency: Chennai Central
Party: DMK
Age: 42
Significant Expenditure
Rs 6 crore on 40 projects + Rs 8 crore on
ongoing projects
Education = Rs 3 crore
Storm Water drains = Rs 0.42 crore
May Day Park = Rs 0.52 crore
Unani Hospital = Rs 0.22 crore
Toilets = Rs 0.27 crore
Roadworks = Rs 0.30 crore
Hassan hero politicks his way to a big zero
Members of Parliament from Karnataka have a ‘dubious’ record when it comes to utilising funds under this scheme. Of the 28 MPs, only a few utilised their funds last year. Some have not even bothered to utilise funds over the past three years. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, according to the information available at the
Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, is among the ‘non-performers’ on this front.
Gowda, who never misses an opportunity to express his concern for
the poor and the farming community, has not even spent a rupee from his funds for 2007-08. In fact, the first instalment of Rs 50 lakh for that year 2007-08 was released by the government only last month on January 12, 2009. It is
unlikely that he would utilise the
remaining funds from 2007-08 and 2008-09 in few months left before the next election.
When he does bestir himself to spend funds from this scheme, Gowda’s priorities appear to be political. Of the 167 works he sanctioned during 2004-2006, over 80 per cent were for building ‘Samudaya Bhavans’ (community halls). “Sanctioning a community hall means wooing the members of those community. Why blame Gowda alone for this, all politicians do this,” says a district MPLADS nodal officer on the condition of anonymity.
More interestingly, none of these works sanctioned by Gowda nearly three years ago have actually taken off, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Other than community halls, he has spent some of the funds on some school buildings, laying of roads and construction of bridges.
H D Deve Gowda
Constituency: Hassan
Party: Janata Dal - S
Age: 75
Significant Expenditure
None
Four-time MP leads the ranks of non-performers
H N Ananthkumar, a four-time MP, has very little to boast of when it comes to utilising funds under the MPLADS. In fact, he tops the list of non-performers. His spending for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09 is Rs 0.
However, his office claims that the MP has sanctioned works for the amount he is entitled for these two years. But the lapses on the part of district administration to send the details to Parliament have caused the confusion. Besides, the regular transfer of officials was also causing problems, they maintain.
Taking a cue from his leader L K Advani who has spent a significant part of his MPLADS funds on creating sports infrastructure in his constituency, Ananthkumar has also spent quite a substantial amount on setting up gyms in his constituency. During 2008-09 he has sanctioned 10 gyms at a cost of Rs 10 lakh each. Next comes education in his priority list as he spent over Rs 3 crore on the construction of classrooms, general halls, providing equipment, etc. Funds were also given to schools to purchase computers.
He has also built his share of community halls at a cost of more than Rs 3 crore. The community halls in a city like Bangalore are very useful as poor and lower middle-class families cannot afford private halls that are too expensive, his office maintains.
H N Ananthkumar
Constituency: Bangalore South
Party: BJP
Age: 49
Significant Expenditure
Community Halls = Rs 3 crore
Education = Rs 3-4 crore
Gyms (sanctioned) = Rs 1 crore
Paving the way for a return to power
Nagandla village in Guntur district is famous for being the hometown of Pullela Gopichand, the second Indian to win the All England Badminton Championship. However, for the 100-odd families living in the SC colony (where he was born), far from the village, for the past 40 years, civilisation was a bumpy ride away.
This changed when the Union minister of state for human resource development, Daggubati Purandhareswari, made sure that the colony got a road that would last the next decade by allocating funds from the interest earned on the Rs 2 crore allotted to her under MPLADS for 2006-07. Apart from roads, she also funded construction of two community halls and a drinking water scheme at the harijan colony near the village.
Purandhareswari says funds from the MPLADS were equally distributed among all the Assembly segments. All the 610 villages, which fall under the Bapatla constituency, have been allotted funds on a need-based bases, said Chief Planning Officer of the Prakasam district, P B K Murthy.
Thirty-three SC colonies have got roads, two mini-protected drinking water schemes and six community halls. “Bapatla constituency witnessed road works up to 60 km; construction of 350 community halls, and pipelines for 150 mini-protected water schemes in the last five years,’’ notes Purandhareswari. Funds were also also allotted for a few mini-lift irrigation projects like the one in Inkollu mandal, as the estimates were overshot following delays in construction. The Minister allotted Rs 2-3 lakh to complete various such projects taken up by the Irrigation Development Corporation, according to one of her constituents.
D Purandhareswari
Constituency: Bapatla
Party: Congress
Age: 49
Significant Expenditure
Roads, community halls,
mini-protected drinking water schemes
for SC colonies = more than Rs 1 crore
Aiming for development but people still thirsty
CPI national leader Suravaram Sudhakara Reddy has nursed his constituency with care focusing on all-round development of the district, though his constituency only forms a part of it. But despite his efforts, safe drinking water remains a dream for many in the segment. Says N Ramnarayana of Marriguda: ‘‘We have been living with the problem of fluoride water for generations. Though we made representations to the MP, nothing much has happened.’’ Other complaints include K Ramanaiah of Alair, saying that though the MP had allocated funds for the construction of Aniyatha Vidya Kendras about eight months ago, work has yet to begin.
Sudhakar Reddy, however, maintains that he has done his best to help. ‘‘I have distributed funds allocated to me under MPLADS for development works of various departments,’’ he claims.
According to him, the works include construction of a building for Aniyatha Vidya Kendras, purchase of computers for girls’ high schools, construction of compound walls for schools, water tanks, community halls, cement roads, IMAX lights and transformers, additional classrooms in schools and buildings for hospitals.
‘‘The delay that took place in completing some works is because of the negligence of the contractors and lack of proper supervision,’’ he explains.
Reddy had sanctioned 983 works in the past five years were sanctioned, of which 818 had been completed. The estimated cost of the works was Rs 10.78 crore but money spent was about Rs 8.39 crore. The pending amount stands at about Rs 4.35 crore including interest.
S Sudhakara Reddy
Constituency: Nalgonda
Party: CPI
Age: 66
Practical solutions to keep the powerhouse running
Known as the powerhouse — given the presence of the hydroelectric project of Kerala, Idukki, with its rugged terrain and an emerging economy, has always been boon as well as bane for people’s representatives hailing from this political constituency. However, two-time MP K Francis George of the Kerala Congress has provided practical solutions to numerous grassroots-level issues, while simultaneously ensuring holistic development of his constituency.
George has addressed grassroots-level issues like electrification, provision of drinking water and road development. For instance, he sanctioned Rs 22 lakh from the MPLAD scheme to construct a bridge to four tribal colonies — Thalavechapara, Kunjipara, Varriam and Kuriyambitti. A sum of Rs 12 crore has been used from the MP fund for the development of 500 panchayat roads in the constituency. A number of drinking water projects were also implemented. Most houses in the hilly region were not electrified when George became the MP for the first time. The ongoing electrification project is expected to illuminate the lives of more than 25,000 families in the district. The electric line has already been put in place for a distance of 90 km as part of the first phase of the project.
An amount of Rs 12 crore has been used from the MP fund for development of 500 panchayat roads in the constituency. “The geographical specialities of Idukki make inter-connectivity between two stations really difficult. Thus concentration was given to road development,” he says.
As for the significant expenditure, the records say that over two terms George has spent Rs 17.5 crore on 902 projects. The balance f Rs 2.5 crore is for ongoing projects. The MP has laid out Rs 10 crore during his tenure for 460 roads across the district at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Computers have been provided to 180 schools at a cost of Rs 2 crore, and drinking water projects worth Rs 1 crore have been executed. Some 50 small electrification projects have been completed at a cost of Rs 90 lakh, and 20 community halls built at a cost of Rs 1 crore.
Francis George
Constituency: Idukki
Party: Congress
Age: 53
Significant Expenditure
Over two terms
460 roads = Rs 10 crore
Computers for 180 Schools = Rs 2 crore
Rural libraries =1 crore
Drinking water projects = 1 crore
20 community halls = 1 crore
Construction and maintenance of 12 PHCs = 0.80 crore
Communist strongman will be a tough act to follow
For four-time MP N N Krishnadas, Palakkad is as familiar as the back of his hand. Until his nomination, the constituency had been flip-flopping between the Congress and the Left and before that it had a long spell of Congress supremacy. He started out as a fiery, street-smart DYFI leader, but we see a different Krishnadas, a man who has mellowed much over the years.
His down-to-earth demeanour, accessibility and frankness has endeared him to the common man, which in turn has led to a good percentage of personal votes landing in his kitty. Leading from the front in all crisis situations, he was the CPI(M) face of Palakkad district, though of late he has been sidelined because of the factionalism in the party.
For the CPI(M) which is now in search of a candidate to represent the Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency, the possibility of the electorate comparing him to their predecessor has made the choice that more difficult. In the past five years, he has spent Rs 8.83 crore on 129 projects, with projects worth Rs 3 crore ongoing. He has focused on improving facilities for education, rural electrification, roads and drinking water.
His interventions in the Lok Sabha on many vital issues like the bifurcation of the Palakkad railway division gave no room for complaints to his rivals. The recent intervention on an issue had also piqued Speaker Somnath Chatterjee (after being
expelled) who had to tell Krishnadas to sit down.
The successful lobbying for the coach factory in lieu of the bifurcation of the Palakkad railway division and his mediation efforts with the locals on acquisition proceedings has proved to voters that their interests are first in his list of priorities.
N N Krishnadas
Constituency: Palakkad
Party: CPM
Age: 50
Significant Expenditure
Construction of schools
and colleges
= Rs 2.1 crore
Rural electrification = 0.65
Two rail overbridges = Rs 1.68 crore
Drinking water = Rs 1.01 crore.
Rural roads = Rs 1.05 crore.
Politics dictates where the pennies flow
It was during his stint as Union Minister of State for Planning and Programme Implementation in 1993-94 that Giridhar Gamang was closely involved in the introduction of the MPLAD Scheme. A nine-time MP from Koraput, a constituency reserved for scheduled tribe (ST) candidates, Gamang has released 16.05 crore from the scheme since its inception.
In the last five years, utilisation of funds in Koraput as well as Rayagada, which came under his constituency in 2004, stands at over 90 per cent. The release of the second instalment for 2008-09 is pending and the unspent balance is Rs 1.96 crore. Gamang has so far disbursed funds for over 400 projects here.
In Koraput district, the progress of projects funded under MPLADS is neither here nor there. Gamang recommended projects worth Rs 4.25 crore for Koraput, of which Rs 2.99 crore have been released and Rs 2.34 crore have been utilised so far. But only about 50 per cent of the projects are complete, while 20 per cent are yet to take off.
According to one of Gamang’s constituents, Loku Parja, the funds have not been evenly distributed. A major chunk has gone to areas that are his stronghold. He sanctioned 38 projects for Semliguda, 32 for Laxmipur and 35 for Nandapur block, but Dasmantpur block has received only five.
The former chief minister, however, says he never releases funds for earthworks as the MPLAD fund should be used for asset building. “Several projects remain incomplete for want of very small amount of funds since there is no budget provision. I use LAD funds for completion of such works,’’ he points out.
Giridhar Gamang
Constituency: Koraput
Party: Congress
Age: 65
A thousand plans but little to show for it
For a first timer, Archana Nayak has courted controversy during the utilisation of the MPLAD funds. The response to an RTI petition filed by Ambika Prasad Parida of Sahaspur village in the Kendrapara constituency shows that not all is well.
According to the Kendrapara district planning office, Nayak released money to 65 high schools to procure computers. Besides, several non-government
organisations were sanctioned funds for projects that were never completed. This has sparked a row in the district over the relevance of spending such
a huge sum of money under the
MPLAD funds for projects that remain incomplete.
It is alleged that the computers, bought at a cost of Rs 2 crore, were substandard. Several of the projects she has funded through the scheme are
incomplete. For instance, Rs 5 lakh was released to an NGO for repair of a two-km road connecting Dhumat with the block headquarters. But there is no sign of any work done. The state government allotted Rs 24 lakh to build a town hall in Kendrapada. Nayak also sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for this project from the MPLAD fund three years ago. But construction is yet to be completed. When contacted, Nayak said that she sanctions fund from the MPLAD for community development. The MP, however, says she has disbursed about 98 per cent of the funds in her MPLAD fund for different development projects. Over 95 per cent money released have already been utilised with an unspent balance of only Rs 1.84 crore.
Archana Nayak
Constituency: Kendrapara
Party: Biju Janata Dal
Age: 42
Significant Expenditure
Computers = Rs 2 crore
Roads = More than Rs 1 crore