NEW DELHI, April 28: With a resolve to improve the healthcare system under her constituency, Tura MP, Agatha Sangma, on Wednesday petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for immediate restoration of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, which continues to remain suspended.
In a letter to the prime minister, Agatha highlighted the deplorable condition of the healthcare system under her constituency and expressed her helplessness in not being able to do anything about it.
Earlier, during a meeting of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA), it was found that the primary and community health centres under her constituency were in a dilapidated state.
Under the MPLAD scheme, MPs can recommend developmental programmes under their constituencies involving expenditure of Rs five crore every year. However, this scheme was suspended by the Centre last year after the outbreak of COVID-19 in India.
“The consolidated amount of MPLAD Funds for 2 years – Rs 7,900 crores – will go to Consolidated Fund of India,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had said in April last year.
However, Agatha maintained that the scheme should be restored only for the improvement of the healthcare system.
“I feel a sense of frustration of not being able to assist in improving the situation because MPLAD has been suspended for two years. Our country is facing an extremely difficult time and we must defeat the pandemic as we did last year,” the Tura MP said.
