3 Bengaluru MPs spent 42% of MPLADS on public infrastructure development: Study

Bengaluru: A whopping 42.67 per cent (Rs 23.47 crore) of the funds allocated to three Bengaluru MPs under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) were spent on public infrastructure development in the last five years, a study by citizens’ group Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) found.

The study released on Saturday showed that Bangalore North MP Sadananda Gowda, Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan and Bangalore South MP L S Tejasvi Surya spent a total of Rs 55.88 crore on their constituency during their five-year term.

The three MPs also spent Rs 16.03 crore (29.15 per cent) on drinking water and sanitation and Rs 7.27 crore (13.22 per cent) on education. The rest was spent on health and family welfare (Rs 6.42 crore), sports and youth services (Rs 1.22 crore), CCTV/ safety (Rs 81 lakh), Covid-19 relief (Rs 35 lakh), animal husbandry (Rs 20 lakh) and yoga kendra (Rs 10 lakh). The study found that the most was spent in the year 2022-23 at Rs 18.45 crore.

"In the wake of Covid-19, MPLADS was suspended from April 6, 2020, to November 9, 2021, and no funds were allocated to the scheme for FY 2020-21. For the period of FY 2021-22, i.e., from November 10, 2021, to March 31, 2022, Rs 2 crore was allocated for each MP," the study noted. 

Bangalore North

In Bangalore North, Gowda allocated Rs 9.18 crore to public infrastructure development and Rs 6.38 crore to drinking water and sanitation. Assembly constituency that received the most funding was Yeshwanthpur (Rs 6 crore), the study found. The MP spent the most (Rs 4.35 crore) during 2022-23. A total of Rs 18.69 crore was recommended by the MP.

Bangalore South

Surya allocated Rs 8.86 crores (45.76 per cent) to public infrastructure development and Rs 3.79 crores (19.58 per cent) to health and family welfare. A total of Rs 19.36 crore was recommended by the MP. Basavanagudi (Rs 4.33 crore) and Jayanagar (Rs 4.32 crore) were the Assembly constituencies to receive the most funding. The most spending on works was in 2022-23 at Rs 3.83 crore (14 per cent).

Bangalore Central

In Bangalore Central, Mohan recommended Rs 17.79 crore for works and allocated the most funds to drinking water and sanitation (Rs 6.58 crore) followed by public infrastructure development (Rs 5.42 crore).

Chamarajpet was the Assembly constituency to receive the most funding (Rs 3.73 crore), while the MP spent the most (Rs 3.42 crore) during 2022-23.