New Delhi: Local area development funds of Members of Parliament (MPLADs) to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore have remained unutilised since the 14th Lok Sabha was constituted in 2004. It was largely on account of district agencies and authorities not following through on them.

The Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation’s report shows that as of February 2018, Uttar Pradesh leads the list of states with unspent funds, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. To be sure, it isn’t clear whether the situation has changed since.

“The (UP) government is coordinating with the MPs for effective utilisation of fund. Together, the party and the government would ensure maximum utilisation of the funds which could be used for the upliftment of the poor and the needy,” said UP minister Siddaharth Nath Singh.

Bihar minister for planning and development Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh said he would have to look into the exact causes as to why the funds remained unutilized. “There may be various causes. At times several MPs recommend some projects on lands which are involved in legal wrangles. We have to look for the exact reasons for non-utilisation of funds,” he said.

Debashish Chakraborty, additional chief secretary in the Maharashtra planning department, said: “It may have happened that some of the MPs have not suggested work during their tenure though most of the MPs ensure that their funds are spent by the end of their tenure.’

“It is complete discretion and choice of the MPs to suggest work and the state government hardly has any role to play. All our collectors take the work under MPLAD scheme very seriously and act on them forthwith,” Chakraborty added.