Dear Editor,
In fact, the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme was an excellent idea, enabling the public representatives to have their say in the development work in their respective constituencies and thus delivering on their poll promises. Unfortunately, the scheme, since its very inception, fell prey to controversies of sorts like favouritism and corruption, with some of the MPs throwing guidelines about implementation to the winds and using public money arbitrarily.
On the face of it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, meant for public welfare and for the upliftment of villages, sounds pragmatic. But what matters a good deal is the implementation of the public welfare projects and programmes, failing which the bona fide intent behind such schemes is overshadowed by mala fide execution. The Government must ensure that this scheme does not go the MPLADS way.
Azhar A Khan
Via emai