THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor on Monday blamed procedural and bureaucratic delays for the less than satisfactory implementation of projects under the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Even then, Tharoor said he had spent 85.14 lakh of his Rs 2 crore MPLADS funds in 2009-10 (38.96 percent utilisation), his first year as MP, and had already spent 41.05 lakh during the current year. Tharoor, while interacting with reporters here on Monday, said that most of the guidelines related to MPLADS had not been adhered to. The guidelines say that once a proposal has been received from an MP, the estimates should be requested from the implementing agency within five days from the date of receipt of a proposal. Everything, including scrutiny and identification of implementation agency, should be completed within these five days, Tharoor said. ‘’This has not happened in most of the cases. Then, the implementing agency selected is supposed to submit a detailed estimate within 20 days from the date of request. In certain cases, it had taken months,’’ Tharoor said. Further, he said that the administrative sanction (AS) should be issued within five days from the date of receipt of the estimate and the technical sanction should be issued within 15 days from the date of receipt of the AS. In spite of all these procedural delays, Tharoor said he had managed a reasonable utilisation of MPLADS funds. The MP said he was disappointed by reports that he had spent just 10 percent of his MPLADS funds. He distributed copies of a document signed by the District Collector which details the development works he had initiated under the MPLADS. Of the 43 works he had recommended in 2009-10, administrative sanction (AS) was issued for only 37 works. Of this, 21 were completed and seven were partially completed; four are in various stages of completion. Tharoor said he had recommended 43 works in 2009-10. AS was issued for 37. In 2010-11, he had recommended 35. AS, as of now, has been issued for 28. Tharoor said that besides the money from the MPLADS, his efforts had pumped in over Rs 70 crore as development funds to the capital city in the last two years. The investment came mostly from the Central Road Fund Board, which he said was brought to the State primarily through his lobbying skills. This includes Rs 15.05 crore in the first year and Rs 55.47 crore in the second year sanctioned for road development works in the district. ‘’I took up the revival of the Kovalam-Kaliyikkavila NH bypass with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and revived the project dormant for the last 20 years,’’ Tharoor said. The MP conceded that he could not be in the constituency during the first 11 months of his tenure as he was ‘’a Minister with a hectic schedule.’’ ‘’But ever since, except for the period when the Parliament is in session, majority of my time I am in Thiruvananthapuram. Take for instance this month. I have been here for 18 of the 25 days,’’ Tharoor said. The MP now plans a mass contact programme once the Parliament session which begins on August 1 concludes. Tharoor also said his office in the city could be contacted any time. The number of his office: 2324555.
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