WORKSHOP-CUM-PHOTO EXHIBITION ON MPLADS
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
organised a Photo Exhibition-cum-Workshop on Member of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) here today.
The Photo-exhibition was inaugurated by Prime
Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Around 200 Members of Parliament
including Speaker, Lok Sabha Shri Manohar Joshi, Deputy Chairperson,
Rajya Sabha Dr. (Smt) Najma Heptulla, Deputy Prime Minister Shri
Lal Krishna Advani and several Central Ministers visited the exhibition.
About 150 photographs of various works taken up under the Scheme
are on display. Photographs of various public utility works like
drinking water and irrigation projects, school buildings, roads,
bridges, hospitals, community halls, bus shelter, play ground
etc. are exhibited. The exhibition will continue for three days
for the convenience of Members of Parliament. The Minister of
State in Prime Minister Office and for Ministry of Statistics
& Programme Implementation Shri Vijay Goel explained that
the purpose of the exhibition is to familiarise MPs with the works
undertaken by other MPs and to present models of the scheme to
follow.
Later in the day a workshop was also organised
to discuss various issues involved in implementation of the Scheme
and to have suggestions from Members for further improvement.
About 200 MPs participated in the workshop. It was inaugurated
by Shri Manohar Joshi. Dr. Najma Heptullah, Dr. B.B. Ramiah, Chairman
MPLADS Lok Sabha, Shri Ram Naik, Minister of Petroleum and Natural
Gas and Shri Vijay Goel, interacted with the Members of Parliament
Welcoming the participants, Shri Goel gave a
brief status of implementation and steps taken for bringing improvement
in the Scheme. He suggested that the Ministry should explore the
possibility of providing an assistant to the Member of Parliament
for keeping record of progress of work recommended by him/her
and also to liaison with different agencies for execution of works.
He said that accountability and transparency must be introduced
in the scheme.
Shri Manohar Joshi suggested that the issue of
enhancing the amount of MPLADS from the existing level of Rs.
two crore could be considered. He also suggested that senior officers
should be nominated for each state to undertake and monitor the
scheme. Works should be strictly developmental in nature leading
to creation of durable assets.
Dr. Heptullah stated that rules must be implemented
uniformly and a meeting of district authorities should be called
for better understanding of the policy. Implementation of the
scheme should be beyond political considerations and there should
be no discrimination. Shri Ram Naik stated that the MPs should
implement the scheme in the right earnest for creation of durable
assets.
Dr. B.B. Ramiah shared his experience of handling
MPLADS cases and suggested that the benefit of the scheme should
go to the community and duplication of work should be avoided.
The workshop provided an interactive opportunity
to learn from the MPs’ impressions about the implementation of
scheme and also to get their suggestions for achieving greater
effectiveness. Many participants highlighted the issue of accountability
and transparency in allocation of funds and its implementation.
The problems of delayed sanction of works, unsatisfactory preparation
of project estimates were also raised with demands to ensure greater
accountability of officers at district level, timely sanction
of projects and quality work and arrangements for proper maintenance
of assets in post implementation period.
