‘Get the Job Done’: Kangana raps Mandi officials over Rs 11 Crore MPLADS — But questions remain over the delay
MP raises concern over public criticism of unspent funds; MPLADS rules place execution responsibility with district authorities
‘Get the Job Done’: Kangana raps Mandi officials over Rs 11 Crore MPLADS — But questions remain over the delay
Mandi/ Shimla, Sept 5,
BJP MP from Mandi parliamentary constituency Kangana Ranaut came down heavily on district officials during a DISHA meeting over the slow utilisation of funds available under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), at one point asking officials responsible for the implementation of works to stand up and explain the delay.
In a video of the meeting, Ranaut is seen questioning officials over nearly Rs 11 crore in unutilised MPLADS funds and expressing strong displeasure over the pace at which development works were being taken up. Her tone remained stern as she sought explanations from officials and repeatedly pressed them to ensure that the pending works were executed.
“Get the job done,” she told officials while questioning why funds available for development were not being converted into actual works.
What stood out during the exchange was Ranaut’s reference to the public perception surrounding the issue. She said the non-utilisation of the funds was being discussed widely and that questions were being raised about the performance of the Mandi MP because the money had not been spent.
The concern is not merely about expenditure on paper. MPLADS funds are intended for the creation of durable community assets and other eligible local development works recommended by Members of Parliament.
According to reports from the meeting, only around Rs 50–60 lakh had been utilised in Mandi district against approximately Rs 5.5 crore available there, while the total unutilised amount across the parliamentary constituency was put at around Rs 11 crore at the time.
Ranaut also questioned Block Development Officers and sought details of the status of works and expenditure. She reportedly expressed displeasure over assurances given at earlier meetings that there were no major hurdles in utilisation of the funds.
The MP’s remarks also included concerns over alleged irregularities involving MPLADS-funded works. She raised allegations that a portion of the funds had allegedly reached fraudulent or ineligible individuals and that recovery of such money was proving difficult. The allegations were made by Ranaut during the meeting and have not been independently established.
She further directed officials to act against agencies that had failed to start works and consider withdrawing funds where projects were not being implemented.
But who is responsible for the delay?
The confrontation also brings into focus the division of responsibility under MPLADS. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which administers the scheme, states that an MP’s role is limited to recommending eligible works. The subsequent process of sanctioning, execution and completion rests with the District Authority.
Under the MPLADS guidelines, the District Authority is responsible for selecting implementing agencies and ensuring timely and effective execution of the recommended works.
This distinction is significant in the present case. While Ranaut is within her role in demanding accountability for the progress of works she has recommended, the actual execution of those projects is not carried out by the MP or her office.
The issue had surfaced publicly even before Saturday’s confrontation. In July this year, Ranaut had alleged that MPLADS funds meant for development works in Mandi and Kullu were being held up at the district-administration level, blaming administrative delays for the slow progress. A detailed response from the district administration to those allegations was not publicly available at the time.
The latest confrontation therefore raises a broader question: if administrative delays were responsible for the slow utilisation, why have the problems remained unresolved despite repeated meetings and follow-ups?
At the same time, the available MPLADS data suggests that the Rs 11 crore figure needs to be viewed in context. Funds under the scheme pass through several stages—from the MP’s recommendation and administrative scrutiny to sanction, appointment of an implementing agency, execution and expenditure. Some works recommended during 2026 were still moving through these stages.
Publicly available MPLADS data currently indicates around Rs 14.70 crore allocated, Rs 4.10 crore spent and Rs 10.60 crore unspent, with hundreds of works recommended and sanctioned but a substantially smaller number shown as completed.
Also read:Former HAS officer questions Mandi MP’s allegation on MPLADS funds, sparks political debate
The figures underline the need for greater clarity from the district administration on the precise status of the unutilised amount—how much relates to works awaiting execution, how much is pending administrative or technical formalities, and whether any amount has been released without the required groundwork being completed.
For Ranaut, however, the issue has acquired an additional political dimension. Her remarks indicate concern that the public is judging her performance as an MP by the amount of MPLADS money actually spent in the constituency.
That makes the exchange more than a routine review of government works. It is also a question of political accountability versus administrative responsibility.
The MP is demanding that officials explain why development works have not progressed. The administration, in turn, would need to establish where exactly the bottlenecks occurred and why funds remained unutilised despite repeated reviews.
Until that information is placed in the public domain, the Rs 11-crore figure alone does not establish either administrative failure or failure on the part of the MP. What it does establish is the need for a transparent work-wise account of the funds, recommendations, sanctions, implementing agencies, expenditure and completed projects in the Mandi parliamentary constituency.
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