Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme

In 1993 on 23rd December, the Government of India formulated a scheme by the name Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) that provide the Parliament of India members to suggest their choice of district’s Head to work for Rs 5 crore annually, which will be looked after by their constituency. The Ministry of Rural Development administered this scheme initially, but in October 1994, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) started looking after it. The districts works responsible for implementation were selected by the elected members of Rajya Sabha who represent the entire State. In more districts, the works for
implementation were selected by Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha’s nominated members. The allocation on each member of the parliament increased from 2 crores to 5 crores from 1999 to 2011. It also enables the MP’s in any other India’s constituency to spend about 10 lakhs there.
While running the scheme, several malpractices were also observed and the demand to remove them. A scandal in the year 2006 was exposed on the television that showed bribe taking MPs for handing over various projects under MPLADS. A committee of seven members was also set up to solve the matter.
MOSPI announced few new guidelines for the MPLADS that are:

1. 75 per cent cost of the project would be provided to the projects implemented by agencies of government in the 1st instalment and 60 per cent to the non-government agencies.
2. The projects whose cost is below 2 lakhs, the entire amount of the project would be given back.
3. Project below the cost of 1 lakh will not be sanctioned except some essential projects like purchase of personal computers and its accessories, hand pumps installation, equipments, solar electric lamps and chaupals.
4. Projects like ambulances and the hearse vans and purchasing of library books owned by the district authorities and also controlled by them, were also included in the scheme.
5. To promote the knowledge of computers in the entire country, the purchase of the software of Microsoft Office was also allowed along with 2 teachers who were asked to give training in every school.
6. 10 lakh rupees were allowed for the MPs to spend every year on the projects in any Union Territory or State other than the place where they got selected.
7. 50 lakh rupees limit was imposed to contribute in trusts and the societies to provide more money for the work of community.

One MP- One Idea
“One MP - One Idea” scheme has been implemented by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). ‘One MP - One Idea’ competition will be held annually in constituency of Lok Sabha to select the best three innovations to obtain cash rewards on the request of MP for promoting such type of scheme in their constituency. This idea was given by the local people for the development projects.