Cong MPs misused MPLADS funds for political gains; Rs 1.20cr diverted to Haryana: Rajasthan Minister

Jaipur, Jan 5 (IANS) Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Affairs Jawahar Singh Bedham on Monday accused three Congress MPs of misusing funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for political gain, alleging that development priorities in their own constituencies were deliberately ignored.

Bedham named Congress MPs Sanjana Jatav (Bharatpur), Rahul Kaswan (Churu) and Brijendra Singh Ola (Jhunjhunu), claiming that they violated the spirit and intent of the MPLADS by diverting funds meant for Rajasthan to Kaithal Assembly constituency in Haryana.

Kaithal is represented by Aditya Singh Surjewala, son of Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala.

According to Bedham, the funds were allegedly diverted to appease the Congress central leadership and safeguard the political future of the three MPs, at the cost of development in their own parliamentary constituencies.

Explaining the MPLADS guidelines, Bedham said each MP is entitled to Rs 5 crore annually, with a maximum of Rs 25 lakh per year permitted for works outside the MP’s constituency, except in disaster-related cases where higher allocations are allowed. Despite this provision, he alleged that the three Congress MPs collectively allocated around Rs 1.20 crore to Kaithal district.

Bedham said the allocations included Rs 45 lakh by Sanjana Jatav, Rs 50 lakh by Rahul Kaswan and Rs 25 lakh by Brijendra Singh Ola. He expressed surprise that despite being elected by the people of Rajasthan, the MPs chose to divert development funds to another state while several key works in Bharatpur, Churu and Jhunjhunu districts remain incomplete.

Providing constituency-wise details, Bedham said Bharatpur MP Sanjana Jatav had recommended 142 MPLADS projects, of which only 37 have been completed so far, all in Alwar district. He claimed that not a single project has been completed in Bharatpur district, while projects worth Rs 45 lakh were executed in the Kaithal Assembly constituency of Haryana.

He said the figures reflect a clear disregard for public accountability and the developmental needs of the MPs’ own constituencies, and called for transparency and strict adherence to MPLADS norms.

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