PHOTOS: MPs who are yet to spend their MPLADS funds

In a development that is sure to raise eyebrows, it has been revealed that around 25 members of Parliament, including many bigwigs, are yet to avail of the MPs' Local Area Development Schemes.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Srikant Jena disclosed this in reply to a question in Parliament, The Hindu newspaper reported on Saturday.

Under MPLADS each MP can spend up to Rs 5 crore every year in various constituency-related works. Since members of the Rajya Sabha represent the whole of the state, they are free to select works for implementation in one or more district(s).

So who are the MPs who have not utilised the MPLADS funds?

Lalu Prasad Yadav

Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav figures in the list of MPs who are yet to avail of MPLADS.

The former Union railway minister currently represents the Saran constituency of Bihar in the 15th Lok Sabha.

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It can turn out to be another crisis of sorts for Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma, who already finds himself in a tight spot after his pet proposal of allowing 50 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail didn't find support in Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha member, currently representing Rajasthan on a Congress ticket, is yet to avail of the MPLADS funds for his constituency.

Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Janata-Dal Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy is also among the MPs who have not availed of his MPLADS funds so far.

The son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, he represents the Bengaluru Rural constituency in the Lok Sabha.

Senior advocate and politician Ram Jethmalani, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket from Rajasthan in 2010, is yet to avail of the MPLADS funds.

It's more bad news for liquor baron and chairman of the cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya.

The Independent member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka has not yet availed of his MPLADS funds.

Eminent actor/film producer and politician Hema Malini, who got re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2011 from Karnataka on a BJP ticket, is also one of the MPs who are yet to touch their MPLADS funds.

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who currently is a BJP member of Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, is also one of the MPs who have not availed the MPLADS funds.

The other MPs who are yet to touch their MPLADS funds are:

T M Selvaganapathy, DMK Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu;

Mohan Singh, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh;

Smriti Zubin Irani, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat;

Tarun Vijay, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Uttarakh#8743

Dilipbhai Pandya, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat;

Meghraj Jain, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh;

Nishikant Dubey, Lok Sabha member representing Godda in Jharkh#8743

Satish Kumar Sharma, Congress Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh;

Narendra Budania, Congress Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan;

Husain Dalwai, Congress Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra;

Jugal Kishore, Bahujan Samaj Party Rajya Sabha member from UP;

Narendra Kumar Kashyap, BSP Rajya Sabha member from UP;

Salim Ansari, BSP Rajya Sabha member from UP;

Pramod Kureel, BSP Rajya Sabha member from UP;

Shashi Bhushan Behera, Biju Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member from Odisha;

Baishnab Panda, BJP Rajya Sabha member from Odisha;

Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Shiromoni Akali Dal Rajya Sabha member from Punjab;

and Ramchandra Prasad Singh, Janata Dal-United Rajya Sabha member from Bihar.

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