Unused reserves, growing concerns: Most Prayagraj MLAs lag in spending Vidhayak Nidhi, says govt data
Among the 12 MLAs in Prayagraj, Harsh Vardhan Bajpai, the MLA from Allahabad North, leads in MLA fund spending in the city areas.
PRAYAGRAJ: Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), similar to Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), receive ₹5 crore annually as ‘Vidhayak Nidhi’ to accelerate development works in their respective areas. Among the 12 MLAs in Prayagraj, Harsh Vardhan Bajpai, the MLA from Allahabad North, leads in MLA fund spending in the city areas, followed closely by Sidharth Nath Singh, the MLA from Allahabad West. Conversely, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, the MLA from Allahabad South, has spent the least amount, as per records. Hakim Lal Bind, the MLA from Handia, is at the forefront among the five assembly constituencies in the trans-Ganga area, while Vachaspati, the MLA from Bara, tops the list among trans-Yamuna MLAs in MLA fund utilization, according to data from the district rural development agency (DRDA).
Spending in urban areas
In the urban areas of Prayagraj, all three MLAs received MLA funds totaling ₹8 crore each, comprising ₹5 crore from the current financial year and ₹3 crore from the last financial year. As of October 31, MLA Harsh Vardhan Bajpai has utilized over ₹4.30 crore for 72 different development works, with 56 approved and 30 completed, while 26 are ongoing. A balance of over ₹3.69 crore remains in his account.
Allahabad West MLA and former UP cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh have executed development works worth over ₹4.22 crore out of the total ₹8 crore. He proposed 36 works, of which 34 were approved, 14 completed, and 20 are in progress. His account holds over ₹3.77 crore.
Similarly, Allahabad South MLA and UP cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi submitted proposals exceeding ₹2.38 crore for 32 development works. Of these, 18 are completed, 14 are in progress, and over ₹5.61 crore remains in the minister’s MLA fund.
Spending in trans-Ganga areas
In terms of MLA fund spending, Hakim Lal Bind, the MLA from Handia, leads among the five assembly constituencies in the trans-Ganga region of Prayagraj. With ₹8 crore allocated in the current financial year, he utilized over ₹5.74 crore on development works, proposing 52 works, of which 49 were approved, four completed, and 45 ongoing.
MLA Vijma Yadav from Pratappur had ₹8 crore in her MLA fund, spending over ₹4.50 crore on development works. She retains over ₹3.49 crore in her account, proposing 17 works, all approved and still ongoing.
Soraon MLA Geeta Shastri spent over ₹3.53 crore out of ₹8 crore allocated for development works, with over ₹4.47 crore remaining. She proposed 45 works, of which 41 were approved, five completed, and 36 in progress.
Phulpur MLA Praveen Patel utilized over ₹3.23 crore out of ₹8 crore in MLA funds for development works. Proposing 36 works, all were approved, with 15 completed and 21 ongoing. He has over ₹4.76 crore left in his account.
Phaphamau MLA Guru Prasad Maurya lags in MLA fund spending in the trans-Ganga area, spending over ₹2.58 crore out of ₹8 crore. With over ₹5.41 crore still in his MLA fund, he proposed 13 works, 12 approved, 10 completed, and two ongoing.
Spending in trans-Yamuna areas
Among the four MLAs representing constituencies in trans-Yamuna areas of Prayagraj, MLA Vachaspati from Bara has spent the most, exceeding ₹5.69 crore on development works. Proposing 85 works, all were approved, with 15 completed and 70 ongoing. He retains over ₹2.30 crore in his account.
Koraon MLA Rajmani Kol, with ₹8 crore, spent over ₹5.60 crore on development works as of October 31. He has over ₹2.39 crore remaining, proposing 70 works, of which 66 were approved, four completed, and 62 in progress.
Karachana MLA Piyush Ranjan Nishad utilized over ₹3.67 crore out of ₹8 crore on development works, leaving over ₹4.32 crore in his MLA fund. Proposing five works, all were accepted, with two completed and three in progress.
Meja MLA Sandeep Patel, also with ₹8 crore, lags behind, spending just ₹3.1 crore on development works. Proposing 35 works, 33 were approved, 16 completed, and 17 ongoing. He has over ₹4.98 crore left in his MLA fund.
Proposals ahead of 2024 polls
As of October 31, funds amounting to crores of rupees, designated for development works, remain unutilised by the 17 MLAs and MLCs in Prayagraj district. District officials assert that the District Rural Development Agency is consistently soliciting proposals from these public representatives. It is anticipated that the majority of them will submit proposals within the next month, keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls in mind.