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Local area development fund for UP MLAs hiked
The Local Area Development Fund for Uttar Pradesh MLAs was increased from Rs 2 crore a year to Rs 3 crore per year each on the last day of the budget session of
The Local Area Development Fund for Uttar Pradesh MLAs was increased from Rs 2 crore a year to Rs 3 crore per year each on the last day of the budget session of the state assembly on Friday.
Earlier, in March 2018, the state government had increased MLALAD funds from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore per annum.
Similarly, a committee chaired by finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna will be constituted to submit a report on the revision of salaries, allowances and pension of MLAs, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in the state assembly on Friday.
To make travel allowances given to MLAs transparent, the state government was contemplating to replace coupons with smart cards, he said.
A statement by the office of Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit said, “An announcement was made (during the Budget session) for increasing the MLA Local Area Development Fund from Rs 2 crore a year to Rs 3 crore a year.”
UP law and justice minister Brijesh Pathak, who is an MLA from Lucknow Central, said, “This move will definitely accelerate the development in assembly constituencies. It will also enable MLAs to undertake more developmental works in their constituencies.”
Cutting across party lines, MLAs had demanded an increase in the MLALAD, salaries and allowances in the assembly on Wednesday. The MLAs also demanded that quota of handpumps given to the lawmakers for installation in their respective constituencies should also be increased.
Adityanath said the guidelines for MLALAD should be amended to include new development projects.
The state government had increased the budget of the various departments, he said, adding that the departmental development projects can be merged with MLALAD so that an MLA can get development projects worth Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore launched in their constituencies. The MLAs will get opportunity to highlight the development projects in their constituencies before the voters, he said.
Adityanath said a committee of the lawmakers from all the political parties should be constituted under the chairmanship of finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna to submit a report on the amendment of the rules of the MLALAD, he said.
The chief minister also announced Rs 11,500 reward for the officers and employees of the legislative assembly secretariat.
He said on the completion of three years, the state government is bringing out a booklet to highlight its achievements.
The launch of development projects in 75 districts will be documented, he said, adding MLAs can also submit details of development in their respective constituencies. The development of their constituencies will be also highlighted in the booklet, he said.
