Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Scrap the scheme

Sir, — The article by Arvind P. Datar, `Scrap the scheme' (March 13) on the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme is thought-provoking and has brought to light various ills of the scheme and the outright misuse of the funds allotted under it. The Mayawati tape issue (wherein she allegedly asked her party MPs/MLAs to give a percentage of the `commission' they receive on work done by spending the constituency funds) is just the tip of the iceberg and in almost all the States the same thing is happening.

The fact that the scheme is not subjected to check or audit is an added advantage to our `representatives of the people' to swindle in collusion with bureaucrats. Yet, the test checks conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor-General have revealed irregularities in the implementation of the scheme. What is the need for such a scheme involving so many crores of public money? The writer is quite correct in his conclusion - `There could be no better beginning (beginning of cost management) than scrapping the MPLADS and similar schemes in various States. At one stroke, the nation will save Rs. 3000 crores'.

S. Bakthavathsalan,

Chennai

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