Covid-19 pandemic relief measures hampering development works in Nashik

The development of the Nashik district at the mercy of MLA Local Area Development Funds

@UtkarshaMuley

Nashik: The Covid-19 pandemic and the mitigation measures undertaken by the administration to contain the pandemic has had its cascading effect on the development works undertaken by District Planning Committee (DPC) utilising the MLA Local Area Development Funds (MLALAD). The effect has been such that not many of the 15 MLAs in Nashik district have been able to utilise their funds for any development works for fiscal year 2020-2021.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Chandwad Rahul Daulatrao Aher has spent only around Rs. 37 lakhs out of total Rs. 3 crore funds he received in the fiscal year (20-21).

Besides, this MLAs Narhari Sitaram Zirwal (Dindori), Suhas Kande (Nandgaon), Mohamad Ismail Abdul Khalik (Malegaon central), Dadaji Bhuse (Malegaon outer), Chhagan Bhujbal (Yeola), Dilip Shankarrao Bankar (Niphad), Manikrao Kokate (Sinnar) altogether could spend only Rs. 4 crores out of the total funds they received in fiscal year (20-21).

The Covid-19 pandemic is now entering its third year with the new Omicron variant. The total cases of Covid-19 have started increasing across the country. This being the case, the scenario was not any different before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2019.

Most of the MLAs from the district did not spend the funds approved on the development of the region in the fiscal year 2019-20.

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Sources in DPC office while speaking to thenews21 on conditions of anonymity disclosed, “The funds received are spent according to the work proposed by the MLA. The buying of various materials required is done first. The funds for the construction of various infrastructure facilities will be done later.”

He added that the money is paid in instalments to the third party involved. The complete amount is paid after completion of the work. The funds allocated to the district are managed by the DPC.

“The total amount of this completion of the work is then added to that fiscal year so sometimes it appears that no work is done in a particular year but that is not the case as the development projects are completed over the years”, said the officer.

Along with MLAs, there are the Members of Parliament (MP) from each region. The central government had suspended all the funds sanctioned to the MP for development purposes due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These are called Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) and Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLALAD) funds.

These are funds granted to the district administration of the region when an MP or MLA recommends the development for their constituency. These funds are released when the developmental works recommended are approved by the administration of the district. All the MPs receive Rs. 5 crore each and the fund of MLA depends on the respective state legislature.

In Maharashtra, the state government allotted all the MLAs and MLCs Rs. 2 crores till the financial year 2019-20. This amount was increased to Rs. 3 crore for the financial year 2020-21 and further increased to Rs. 4 crores for this financial year. The funds are released and spent according to the fiscal year.

Nashik district has 15 MLAs in the current Vidhan Sabha. Out of these 15 MLAs, NCP has six, BJP has five, Shiv Sena has two, Congress has one and AIMIM has one.

Party-wise the 15 MLAs are as follows:

Chhaganrao Bhujbal, Nitin Arjun Pawar, Diliprao Shankarrao Bankar, Narhari Sitaram Zirwal, Saroj Babulal Ahire, Manikrao Shivajirao Kokate (all NCP), Rahul Daulatrao Aher, Dilip Mangalu Borse, Devyani Suhas Farande, Sima Mahesh Hire, Rahul Uttamrao Dhikale (all BJP), Dadaji Bhuse and Suhas Kande (both Shiv Sena), Hiraman Bhika Khotkar (Congress) and Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalik (AIMIM).