Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Affairs Jawahar Singh Bedham has accused three Congress MPs of misusing funds allocated under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for their political advantage. Bedham named Congress MPs Sanjana Jatav, Rahul Kaswan, and Brijendra Singh Ola, alleging that they diverted funds meant for Rajasthan to Kaithal Assembly constituency in Haryana. This diversion, according to Bedham, was to please the Congress central leadership, neglecting the development needs of their own constituencies.
Bedham highlighted that each MP is entitled to Rs 5 crore annually under MPLADS, with a maximum of Rs 25 lakh per year allowed for works outside their constituency, except in specific cases. Despite these guidelines, the three Congress MPs allegedly allocated around Rs 1.20 crore to Kaithal district. Sanjana Jatav allocated Rs 45 lakh, Rahul Kaswan Rs 50 lakh, and Brijendra Singh Ola Rs 25 lakh to Kaithal, while key projects in Bharatpur, Churu, and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan remain incomplete.
The minister provided specific details, noting that only 37 out of 142 MPLADS projects recommended by Sanjana Jatav have been completed, all in Alwar district. Not a single project in Bharatpur district has been finished, while Rs 45 lakh worth of projects were executed in Kaithal Assembly constituency. Bedham emphasized the lack of public accountability and developmental focus in the MPs’ own constituencies, calling for adherence to MPLADS norms and transparency in fund allocation.
