Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday demanded to allocate Rs. 3 Crores annual to each MLA of state under Local Area Development Fund. Addressing the media at Chandigarh, AAP MLAs Aman Arora, Adv. H.S. Phoolka and other MLAs demanded from government to pass the MLA Local Area Development Fund Bill 2017 in coming session of Vidhan Sabha.Aman Arora said that MLA Local Area Development Fund has been introduced in many states which is similar to that of MPLAD Fund introduced by government of India in year 1993. He demanded that fund of Rs. 3 Crores per constituency must be provided in the state’s Plan Budget every year to meet the demands of the people of vidhan sabha.Arora said that at present along with Members of Parliament, MLAs of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Kerla, Karnatka, Delhi etc are getting 2-4 Crores Rs. Fund under MLA Local Area Development Fund but the concept has not implemented in Punjab state.
He said that Delhi Vidhan Sabha has passed the bill to raise the fund to 14 crores that is waiting the nod of Lieutenant General of Delhi.Arora said that he has written a letter to the Speaker of Vidhan Sabha in this regard to seek his permission to introduce private member bill in coming session of Vidhan Sabha. He also requested MLAs of Congress, BJP and SAD to support the bill for the overall development of the state. He said that with passage of bill, the disparity in spending funds in specified constituencies will end.Phoolka said that it is shoking to know that no private member bill has been introduced in vidhan sabha in last 15 years. He said that Captain Amrinder Singh who used to accuse the previous government for step motherly treatment to the constituencies related to members of opposition parties must avail the opportunity to fill the gap. He said that the implementation of bill is the need of the hour for the overall development of the state.