Nitish scraps MLA fund,turns to engineers to implement schemes

Bihar had become the first state in the country to scrap the MLALAD Fund.

After deciding to scrap the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) Fund,the Nitish Kumar government is ready with a compensatory plan to address concerns of local development as expressed by the legislators.

Tentatively called the CM Area Development Programme (CMADP),it is unique in its approach. Under the plan,which will be at the district-level (as against the Assembly segment level),while the minister-in-charge,MLAs and MLCs concerned will only select schemes every year,its implementation will rest with a body of engineers headed by Engineer-in-Chief.

Also,while chief/executive engineers will sign cheques,district magistrates can only monitor implementation of schemes so they meet deadlines. As against arbitrary selection of contractors under the MLALAD Fund,there will be open tendering in which a CAG representative would be present.

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Bihar had become the first state in the country to scrap the MLALAD Fund,often derided as commission fund because of rampant corruption allegations against public representatives.

A Local Area Engineers Organisation having 2,000-odd engineers right from Engineer-in-Chief to junior engineers will take over the implementation part after welfare schemes are selected by the district selection committee having minister-in-charge as chairperson and MLAs and MLCs from the district as members, said State Planning and Development Principal Secretary Vijay Prakash.

He said aanganwadi schemes,panchayat sarkar bhawans,construction and repair of lanes,drains,flood protection platforms and bus stands would come under the CMADP. The state government might allocate annual fund as per requirement exceeding Rs 318 crore (cumulative annual MLA fund). He,however,added,The areas need,not the fund,is the criterion.

An MLC will be free to switch over from one district to another after a year. The MLAs,however,will have to stick to districts under which their Assembly segments fall.

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To ensure complete transparency,a chief or an executive engineer in charge of a district will float open tender to select contractors. A representative from the Accountant General Office will be present during the selection of contractors to ensure that all tender rules and PWD codes are duly followed, Prakash said. He added that the idea behind the scheme was to rationalise development fund on the basis of area,population and density of weaker sections in a district.

He said district magistrates would be free to monitor schemes and bring any discrepancy to the notice of the selection committee.

A legislator can also oversee its monitoring and bring any irregularity before the committee headed by the minister-in-charge. The engineers body will be answerable to the selection committee.