The current Lok Sabha is about to end its term, but most of the Punjab MPs haven't exhausted their Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds. The 13 Lok Sabha MPs are yet to spend around Rs 62 crore of the fund out of the total Rs 247 crore (Rs 19 crore to each MP) on the development of their constituencies, revealed the Lok Sabha website.
The current Lok Sabha is about to end its term, but most of the Punjab MPs haven't exhausted their Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds.
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The 13 Lok Sabha MPs are yet to spend around Rs 62 crore of the fund out of the total Rs 247 crore (Rs 19 crore to each MP) on the development of their constituencies, revealed the Lok Sabha website.
Interestingly, there is not a single MP from the lower house of Parliament, who has utilised 100% funds of the cumulative total from 2009 to 2013.
Among the poor performers, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sindhu is at the top as he has spent only Rs 9.45 crore from his MPLAD funds for the development of his constituency, Amritsar. Sidhu had come in for severe criticism from the opposition parties, who had alleged that he was hardly seen in Amritsar after the elections.
Similarly, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Sukdev Singh Libra has spent only Rs 9.67 crore for the development of his constituency.
Though Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla has managed to get several projects for his constituency from the Centre, he spent only Rs 9.94 crore from the MPLAD funds for the development of Sangrur region.
Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari spent Rs 11.36 crore on Ludhiana and state Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa Rs 11.01 crore on Gurdaspur.
On the other hand, women MPs have fared better. Patiala MP Preneet Kaur has spent the maximum with Rs 16.05 crore. Hoshiarpur MP Santosh Chaudhary has spent Rs 15.13 crore, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal spent Rs 14.61 crore and Faridkot MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan spent Rs 14.59 crore.
Khadoor Sahib MP Ratan Singh Ajnala has spent Rs 15.92 crore.