Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that there was no question of stopping the release of money from the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) Fund for schemes and works recommended by legislators.
“Nobody has been directed not to release money for schemes recommended by MLAs under the LAD Fund. The release of money under the MLA LAD Fund and the discretionary grant cannot be stopped or denied for schemes recommended by any MLA,” Sukhu said while replying to Jogindernagar MLA Prakash Rana’s question in the Assembly today.
Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that many MLAs were facing problems in getting money under the MLA LAD Fund for works recommended by them. They had written to the Deputy Commissioner for Rs 4.31 lakh for a particular scheme in 2023-24 but the money was not released. And then I was told that the money pertaining to last year would lapse.
Thakur said, “Why this money should lapse for no fault of mine. I had written to the Deputy Commissioner, so why should the money lapse when fault was at the end of officials.”
The Chief Minister said that he would direct the Deputy Commissioners concerned to release money for various schemes from the MLA LAD Fund without delay. “The government has not discontinued the LAD Fund of any legislator and there is no question of the money lapsing. The funds are being released and there is no question of stopping the grant of funds,” he added.
Sukhu said, “At times, there is delay because the mahila or yuvak mandals have not started the work, as land has not been transferred or some other permissions have not been obtained.” Rana and Churah MLA Hans Raj said that the money from the MLA LAD Fund was not being released.
