50% funds allotted for ongoing MPLADS projects lapse

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

The Standing Committee on Finance has pointed out the problems under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme(MPLADS).

Standing Committee on Finance on MPLADS:

• Half of the funds allotted for completing the ongoing MPLADS projects in 2020-21 simply lapsed.
• The resultant funding crunch would have hit several local area development projects under implementation across the country, especially in the five States that went to polls this year as no funds were released for these States citing the model code of conduct (MCC).
• Moreover, spending under the MPLADS had already halved before the government suspended the scheme for two years in April 2020 and diverted the funds for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Terms to know:

• MPLAD Scheme