(a) whether the Government has received any requests from various quarters for enhancement of Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the progress made so far with regard to the proposal for enhancement of the quantum of
MPLADS funds;
(d) the details of enhancement made in the said funds so far since inception; and
(e) the rationale/basis for each of the above enhancement?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE), MINISTRY OF
COAL AND STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION (SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL)
(a)&(b) Demand for increase in the annual allocation of MPLADS fund which range from Rs.5
crore to Rs.10 crore per annum has been received from various MPs as well as from the
Committees of the Parliament.
(c) A Proposal to enhance the annual allocation under the MPLAD Scheme was taken up with
Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission. The Planning Commission, after examining the
issue, has informed that a number of on-going flagship programmes require additional resources
that they are not able to provide, any increase in the annual allocation under MPLAD scheme
may not be feasible at the present juncture.
(d) In 1993-94, when the Scheme was launched, an amount of rupees five lakh per Member of
Parliament was allotted which became rupees one crore per annum from 1994-95 per MP/
constituency. This was stepped up to rupees two crore from the year 1998-99.
(e) The annual allocation of MPLADS funds was increased from rupees one crore to rupees
two crore in 1998-99 in view of increasing demand of Members of Parliament for development
of their areas and the rising cost of inputs.