Election Commission stops the release of MPLAD funds to the State

Team Udayavani, Mar 30, 2018, 11:34 AM IST

New Delhi/Bengaluru: With the election dates for Karnataka effectively declared, the Election Commission has forced limitations on execution of the state’s MP’s Local Area Development scheme. 

The EC kept in touch with the Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer of the state, forcing a restriction on new arrival of funds for the MPLAD scheme in Karnataka. The election board additionally prohibited fresh arrival of funds for the MLAs and MLCs Local Area Development scheme. The boycott would stay in compel till the completion of the election procedure.

The EC on Tuesday declared that voting for the state Assembly polls will be held on May 12. 

Narendra Butolia, principal secretary to the EC, wrote to the Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha and Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar that no work under the MPLAD or MLA or MLC LAD plans would initiate regardless of whether the work order was issued before Tuesday. The works could begin simply after the finishing of election process in the month of May. 

He informed that if a work under the MPLAD or MLA or MLC LAD scheme had already begun on the ground before the declaration of election dates on Tuesday, it could proceed. In addition, the authorities could likewise make payment for the works which is officially finished on the off chance that they were satisfied with the quality of the works. 

According to a March 1 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Karnataka was qualified to get Rs 140 crore in 2017-18 for MPLAD scheme on proposal of the Lok Sabha MPs from the state. The Center, nonetheless, has discharged Rs 25 crore until now. Additionally, the Center so far discharged Rs 15 crore against Karnataka’s aggregate entitlement of Rs 60 crore for usage of the MPLAD scheme on suggestion by the Rajya Sabha MPs from the state.