Bereft of MLALAD funds, Punjab legislators feel helpless: ‘We are for attending bhogs & weddings only’

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had told the Vidhan Sabha in June 2022 that he was considering such a fund for MLAs, but it remained a non-starter. Mann responded to a question by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator Manpreet Singh Ayali, stating MLAs in other states were getting discretionary funds but not in Punjab. The CM had said he was for the MLALAD fund and would work on the proposal.

The fund-crunched state, having a debt of Rs 3.5 lakh crore, has been unable to give its MLAs a discretionary fund or MLALAD to carry out development work in their constituencies.

In line with the MPLAD provided to MPs for development projects by the Centre, several states started the MLALAD scheme. The Centre allocates Rs 5 crore each to MPs every year.

MLAs in Maharashtra get Rs 2 crore, Rs 3 crore in Tamil Nadu, Rs 5 crore in Kerala, and Rs 35 lakh in Tripura. The Delhi government has increased MLALAD from Rs 4 crore to Rs 7 crore — the maximum in the country.

Like Punjab, Haryana and Sikkim also do not have MLALAD. In neighbouring Haryana, MLAs get a discretionary fund of Rs 15 lakh. An MLA cannot give more than Rs 40,000 to one person. It can be given to a poor or an ailing person. The fund is released directly by the government.

A ruling AAP MLA said there was no fund for MLAs. “When we go out among people, they seek grants. If we go to dharmashalas, organisers seek grants for renovation. Somebody seeks a grant for repairing a poor man’s house. Sometimes grants are sought for temples, community halls and to an ailing person. But we do not have any funds. I pool in money from industrialists to get work done. Some MLAs, especially first-timers, often raise the issue. And then, they keep themselves away from public functions. Such is the situation in Punjab,” the MLA said.

Another ruling party MLA said they repeatedly conveyed to the CM that the MLAs in Punjab should have a discretionary fund or MLALAD. “AAP MLAs in Delhi are getting Rs 7 crore every year, why cannot we also get this fund? What is our fault?”

MLAs in Punjab, irrespective of the party governing the state, have never had a discretionary fund or MLALAD.

Congress MLA Pargat Singh, who was earlier a SAD MLA during the SAD-BJP rule from 2012-2017 and a Congress MLA during the Congress rule from 2017-2022, said, “We had taken the matter with former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and then with Amarinder Singh. They made promises for a discretionary fund or MLALAD, but it never became a reality,” Pargat said.

“In Punjab, no government wants to give money to Opposition MLAs, so there is no discretionary fund. They want the system of halqa in charge (a ruling party leader is made in charge of a constituency represented by an Opposition MLA). The halqa in charge gets the development work done by taking up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner. We are just for attending bhogs and weddings. All development work in my constituency has stopped.”

However, a ruling party MLA said, “The government has no money. You visit my constituency and will find roads need repair. I have been raising the matter everywhere, but no one listens.”

An aide of the CM said that the CM strongly felt that the MLAs should get MLALAD. “Once he was about to announce that MLAs in Punjab would get Rs 10 crore every year, more than any state, including Delhi. However, a fund crunch came in the way. When the state has funds, the MLALAD fund will be a reality.”

The Indian Express contacted several AAP leaders seeking their opinion on the issue, but no one came on record. One of the leaders said, “We don’t have money and coffers are empty. I don’t know what the CM is thinking about it.”

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that the government has no money. “They do not have money to buy poison for themselves.

Moreover, they do not have an intent to give anything. All development work has stopped. Roads are broken. In the past 2.5 years, they have not given a single paisa to any corporation or panchayat. The CM has not met anybody at the Centre to seek withheld funds.” “During the previous two Congress governments in the state, each constituency was allotted Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore,” Bajwa added.