Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 11, 2024, 05:00 PM
Delhi News: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has taken an important decision and increased the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) fund by 50%. After this increase, now MLAs will get Rs 15 crore instead of Rs 10 crore annually for development works. Chief Minister Atishi's cabinet has approved this proposal, which the Aam Aadmi Party has described as an important step to accelerate local development works.Delhi's fund three times more than other statesAnnouncing this fund increase, Chief Minister Atishi said that the MLA fund in Delhi has now become three times more than other states. He said that only Rs 1.5 crore is allocated per constituency in Gujarat, while states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka provide Rs 2 crore. Even in big states like Maharashtra, Kerala and Rajasthan, this fund is limited to only Rs 5 crore. In such a situation, this step of the Delhi government is a big step towards completing development works at the local level more effectively by providing more resources to the MLAs.Use of MLA FundThe main objective of the MLALAD Fund is to speed up the development of the local area. Under this, this fund is provided to the MLAs for works like repair of roads, arrangement of street lights, development of parks, laying of sewer lines. Chief Minister Atishi said that this increase will help the MLAs to work faster in their area, which will benefit the public.Statement of Urban Development Minister Saurabh BhardwajUrban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that Delhi has received excessive rain this year, which has damaged many roads, parks and footpaths. Apart from this, the problem of sewer overflow was also seen in many areas. The MLAs brought these issues to the attention of the government, and with this fund increase, they will be able to provide relief quickly without delay in departmental processes. Bhardwaj said that this step will solve local problems soon, which is very important for the city.Sharp opposition from the oppositionHowever, opposition parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have strongly opposed this decision of the Delhi government. Delhi BJP president Virender Sachdeva and leader of opposition in the assembly Vijender Gupta termed the move as a "deception". They alleged that the increase in MLA funds is unlikely to be spent on development works and instead may be used for corruption and commission. They claimed that the funds may be misused by ruling party MLAs, contractors, and officials.ConclusionWhile the Aam Aadmi Party has described the 50% increase in MLA funds by the Delhi government as a positive step towards development, the opposition has criticized the decision. To what extent the increased funds will speed up local development works will be seen in the future, but this move remains the center of political discussions ahead of the elections.