MP Kangana Ranaut Slams Officials Over Poor Utilisation of MPLADS Funds, Says Only Rs. 50–60 Lakh Spent in Mandi.
Shimla:
Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut expressed strong displeasure with government officials over the slow utilisation of funds released under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), warning that development projects cannot remain confined to files and official meetings.
Chairing the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in Mandi, Ranaut directed officials to ensure that decisions taken during such meetings are translated into visible progress on the ground. She said DISHA meetings should not become a mere “paper formality” and stressed that pending issues must be resolved through coordinated and time-bound action.
Ranaut particularly took officials to task over the poor utilisation of her MPLADS funds. She said she had released around Rs. 11 crore for development works across her parliamentary constituency, but the funds were not being utilised at the required pace.
According to Ranaut, around Rs. 5.5 crore had been released for Mandi district alone, yet only approximately Rs. 50–60 lakh had actually been spent. She questioned why officials were delaying the implementation of projects despite the availability of funds.
The Mandi MP said the slow utilisation of funds was also putting her in an embarrassing position before the Union Ministry. She alleged that she had repeatedly faced questions at the Ministry over why the MPLADS funds allocated through her were not being spent.
Ranaut also expressed frustration over what she described as an attitude among some officials that she would not be able to take action because of her background as a film actor.
“Officials think that I am a heroine and ask, ‘What can she do to us?’ Ranaut said during the meeting, while warning officials against taking the implementation of development projects lightly.”
She further said she did not want to publicly expose the functioning of officials from Himachal Pradesh at the national level, as doing so could damage the reputation of the state and its administrative machinery.
Questions Over Pending Projects
The MP also questioned officials over several development projects that have remained stalled despite funds being available. She sought explanations for delays caused by land acquisition, permissions, No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other procedural hurdles.
Ranaut directed officials to prepare separate lists of development works according to their present status. She also called for a time-bound action plan for every pending project, making it clear which department or agency was responsible, what stage the work had reached and what remained to be completed.
She emphasised that officials must move projects from paperwork to implementation so that people could actually benefit from the funds sanctioned for their areas.
‘Officials Misled Me About MPLADS Works’
Ranaut also referred to a DISHA meeting held around two months ago, claiming that officials had given her misleading information regarding MPLADS works.
She said officials had indicated that the works had been completed, but a subsequent survey conducted by an independent agency allegedly revealed discrepancies and exposed the actual status of the projects.
Expressing her frustration, Ranaut said she had repeatedly been required to communicate with the Ministry because of delays at the local level.
She said she and her personal assistant had to spend considerable time at the Ministry dealing with letters and correspondence related to the pending works.
The MP questioned how she could explain the situation before the media and the public when funds were available but projects were not being implemented.
‘Give Me Your Office for One Day’
In a sharp remark during the meeting, Ranaut challenged the officials to hand over their office to her for a day, saying she could get the pending work done herself.
She stressed that the primary responsibility of an MP in the MPLADS system is to recommend and release funds for development works, while the implementing agencies and administration are responsible for executing those works on the ground.
Ranaut’s strong remarks reportedly left several officials present at the meeting visibly uncomfortable, with the MP repeatedly seeking explanations for delays and demanding accountability.
She maintained that the purpose of the DISHA committee was to monitor development schemes effectively and ensure that government programmes reached the people rather than remaining stuck in administrative procedures.
The meeting was attended by Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi, Drang MLA Puran Thakur, Sarkaghat MLA Dalip Thakur, Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, Superintendent of Police Mandi Vinod Kumar, Municipal Corporation Mayor Suman Thakur and Commissioner Dr Madan Kumar, among other officials and representatives.
Ranaut’s remarks have put the spotlight on the utilisation of MPLADS funds in Mandi and raised questions over administrative delays in implementing development projects despite the availability of sanctioned funds.
