New Delhi/Agartala, July 11 (IANS) Lok Sabha MP from West Tripura parliamentary constituency, Biplab Kumar Deb, has recorded one of the highest utilisation rates of the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds, with over 93 per cent of the allocated amount spent within nearly two years of his tenure as a Lok Sabha member, according to official data.

According to the data compiled by Deb’s office, the utilisation rate is stated to be significantly higher than the national average of spending on MPLADS.

Earlier, during his tenure of around one year and eight months as a Rajya Sabha member, Deb, also former Tripura Chief Minister, had achieved 100 per cent utilisation of the MPLADS funds allocated during that period.

As per an official statement quoting the latest data of the West Tripura district administration, Deb has sanctioned 32 development projects worth Rs 10.44 crore under MPLADS during the financial years 2024-25 to 2026-27. Of these, work has commenced on 29 projects, while 15 have already been completed and the remaining 14 are under various stages of implementation, said the statement, issued by Deb’s office.

Out of the total sanctioned amount of over Rs 10.43 crore for 32 projects, an expenditure of around Rs 9.71 crore has already been incurred, representing around 93.05 per cent of the total allocation.

The data shows that during the 2024-25 financial year, six projects were sanctioned at a cost of Rs 3.19 crore. Three of these projects have been completed, while one has achieved nearly 90 per cent physical progress. The remaining projects are also progressing rapidly. Expenditure during the year has exceeded Rs 3 crore, accounting for over 94 per cent of the sanctioned amount.

In 2025-26, Deb sanctioned 23 projects involving over Rs 6.51 crore, the highest number of projects during the three years. Twelve projects have already been completed, while the remaining projects are under implementation, with many recording physical progress ranging from 60 per cent to nearly 100 per cent. Expenditure during the year has crossed Rs 5.71 crore, or around 88 per cent of the sanctioned allocation.

For the current financial year, 2026-27, the MP has sanctioned three new projects worth over Rs 72.54 lakh. Since these projects have only recently been approved, implementation has begun in one project, while the remaining two are in the tendering and initial administrative stages. Consequently, expenditure during the current financial year remains limited.

Before being elected to the Lok Sabha from West Tripura in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Deb had served as a Rajya Sabha member representing Tripura from September 2022 until he resigned in June 2024 after his election to the Lok Sabha.

During his Rajya Sabha tenure of nearly one year and eight months, Deb sanctioned 14 development projects under MPLADS during the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, with a total allocation of Rs 4,43,29,552. The entire sanctioned amount was utilised, achieving 100 per cent expenditure.

In addition, Utilisation Certificates (UCs) amounting to Rs 7,03,28,500 have been submitted to the Central government, covering about 67.39 per cent of the total expenditure. The MPLADS projects undertaken during both his Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha tenures include construction of additional classrooms in schools, community halls, bridges and culverts, cement concrete roads, gymnasiums, improvement of market infrastructure, and several other public welfare works.

The data also highlighted Deb’s active participation in parliamentary proceedings, stating that he has frequently taken part in debates on the Union Budget and various issues concerning national interest.

The MPLADS is a Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Government of India. The objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets in the areas of drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc primarily in their Constituencies.

The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per Member of Parliament (MP) constituency is Rs 5 crore, released in two instalments of Rs 2.5 crore each, subject to the fulfilment of conditions as per the MPLADS Guidelines.

–IANS

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