NEW DELHI: With the Lok Sabha election just four months away and assembly polls due in early 2025, Delhi government has increased the MLA local area development (MLALAD) fund from Rs 4 crore per legislator to Rs 7 crore. The increase, urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Friday, will be applicable from the current financial year and each MLA would be allocated an additional Rs 3 crore for 2023-24.
Bharadwaj said legislators across party lines were demanding an increase in the funds to provide better service in their respective assembly constituencies.
"We had a meeting with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal last week where the issue was discussed. On his directions, the MLALAD has been increased from Rs 4 crore to Rs 7 crore," the minister said.
He added, "Since only three months are left in this financial year, instead of an additional Rs 210 crore for 70 MLAs, we are making arrangements to release Rs 100 crore this fiscal. The remaining Rs 110 crore will be released along with the Rs 7 crore each for 70 MLA for 2024-25 next year."
Bharadwaj said this would help MLAs get more development projects executed in their local areas. "It's been seen that MLAs are more connected to the general public and get suggestions from RWAs and the general public. Providing the legislators with more funds will lead to better development of areas, especially internal roads, parks, drains, children play facilities, open gyms, and streetlights," he said.
Interestingly, the Delhi cabinet had increased the MLALAD funds from Rs 4 crore to Rs 10 crore in 2018. The legislators got Rs 10 crore each for two financial years -2018-19 and 2019-20 - for carrying out development works before the Covid pandemic hit. While no money was allocated to the legislators in 2020-21, each was given Rs 4 crore in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The unspent amount of MLALAD fund of a state legislator does not lapse and is added to the allocation for the following financial year, the minister said in the Delhi Assembly on Friday.
Delhi's allocation for MLA LAD funds is among the highest in the country. As per the state government data, Rs 280 crore were allocated under the MLALAD fund scheme in the 2021-22 fiscal, of which Rs 223 crore were spent. In 2022-23, Rs 300 crore was allocated, with spendings of Rs 222 crore and in 2023-24, Rs 103 crore have been spent so far while Rs 197 crore remain in balance.
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