No details on how finance ministry used MPLAD funds during Covid years

NEW DELHI: The ministry of statistics and programme implementation, the government department that monitors and implements the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, has told Lok Sabha in a written response that it does not have any information on how MPLAD funds were spent through the Covid years - 2020-21 and 2021-22 - or whether they have been fully utilised.
In a written response to a question by BSP MP Shyam Singh Yadav, the government said the MPLAD funds were "placed at the disposal of the ministry of finance for managing the health and adverse impacts of Covid-19 on society". It added that the ministry has "no data/details about the purposes for which these funds have been utilised or whether any part of the same has remained unutilised".
The Union government had in April 2020 decided not to operate MPLADS during the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22, and placed the funds at the disposal of finance ministry for managing the impact of the pandemic.
MPLADS is a central government scheme which enable MPs to carry out development works in the areas of drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, among other things, in their constituencies. Every MP constituency is allotted Rs 5 crore annually, which is released in two instalments of Rs 2.5 crore each.
In response to Yadav's query, the statistics ministry said in 2019-20 the entire MPLADS fund was made available and nothing was suspended. In 2020-21, the entire MPLADS fund of Rs 5 crore per MP was suspended and nothing was made available. In 2021-22, MPLADS fund were released partially and Rs 2 crore was made available per constituency.