Most of the members of the Legislative Assembly will have to show more activism regarding the use of MLA fund. From the year 2022-23 to December 2024, all 70 MLAs were allocated Rs 964 crore as MLA development fund, out of which Rs 589.21 crore was spent. In this way, the rate of use of MLA fund is 61 percent. This disclosure has been made from the information received under the Right to Information Act. Advocate Nadeem Uddin has obtained this information from the Rural Development Commissioner’s Office. Based on the information received, as far as the performance of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ministers is concerned in the matter of MLA fund expenditure, Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bahuguna is at the forefront. Saurabh is an MLA from Sitarganj assembly constituency and he has used 85 percent of the funds. After him, Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, MLA from Mussoorie, has spent 72 percent, Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya representing Someshwar has spent 64 percent, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal from Narendra Nagar has spent 57 percent and Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj, MLA from Chaubattakhal, has spent 56 percent of the MLA fund.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat has used only 29 percent and Cabinet Minister Premchand Aggarwal has used only 33 percent of the fund. They will have to show more activism for maximum use of the fund. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has spent 53 percent of the MLA fund.
MLA Batra is ahead in expenditure
Excluding the ministers, among the MLAs, BJP MLA from Roorkee Pradeep Batra has spent the most MLA fund. He has used 90 percent of the fund. After them, Gadarpur MLA Arvind Pandey (87 percent), Jwalapur MLA Ravi Bahadur (85 percent), Pirankaliyar MLA Furkan Ahmed (84 percent), Nanakmatta MLA Gopal Singh Rana (83 percent), Khanpur MLA Umesh Kumar (82 percent), Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma (80 percent) have spent the funds.
MLA Kishor is the last in spending
Except ministers, the MLA with the lowest MLA fund expenditure in Uttarakhand is Tehri MLA Kishor Upadhyay (15 percent). Apart from him, Lalkuan’s Dr. Mohan Singh Bisht (34 percent), Lohaghat Khushal Singh (34 percent), Chakrata Pritam Singh (37 percent), Nainital’s Sarita Arya (40 percent), Kapkot’s Suresh Gadiya (42 percent), Kaladhungi’s Banshidhar Bhagat (43 percent), Rudraprayag’s Bharat Singh Chaudhary (43 percent), Ghansali’s Shakti Lal Shah (44 percent) have spent the MLA fund.
