New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday underscored the urgent need for a structured national policy on government investments, cautioning against the growing trend of electoral freebies. He stressed that the country’s long-term growth depends on capital expenditure and that policymakers must strike a balance between public welfare and sustainable investment.
Speaking in the Upper House, Dhankhar said, “On placatory mechanisms, on appeasement, which is often known as freebies, this House needs to deliberate… Because the country grows only with capex being available. The electoral process is such that these have become electoral allurements, and thereafter, the governments that came in saddle found themselves very uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that they wanted to revisit their thoughts.”
His remarks came in response to Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav’s demand to increase the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds from ₹5 crore to ₹20 crore. Yadav argued that inflation and taxation under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have significantly reduced the effectiveness of the current allocation.
“One-third of the Lok Sabha MPs lose elections because of MPLAD… In several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, the funds allocated to MLAs for spending are more than MPLAD,” Yadav pointed out.
The MPLADS scheme enables MPs to recommend developmental projects in their constituencies, including road construction, school infrastructure, and public utilities. The debate has reignited discussions on whether government spending should focus more on long-term capital investments rather than short-term electoral promises.
