There is bad news for Assam’s Lok Sabha members. The unspent balance of the MPLAD (MP’s Local Area Development) Fund in the State as of March 2023 stands at Rs 41 crore. This is over and above the non-release of another amount of Rs 42 crore, which has happened due to the failure on the part of the district authorities concerned to submit eligible reports and utilization certificates in time. As reported in the Sunday edition of this newspaper, official records have shown that in some cases, the MPLAD funds of some Lok Sabha members of Assam have been pending due to non-submission of various documents. It may be recalled that the Union Government has earmarked a fund of Rs 5 crore per year for each MP, which is payable in two equal installments. While officers at the district level are responsible for utilizing these funds at the ground level, it is definitely the bounden duty of each MP to monitor the proper and timely utilization of their respective funds, so that the funds do not remain idle. This newspaper has named several MPs from the state and mentioned the amount of their respective funds, which have remained unutilized, including the reasons for which those have remained so. In the case of one MP, there has been a case of non-receipt of the eligible monthly progress report and the provisional utilization certificate, while in the case of another, the audit certificate and utilization certificate have not been submitted. Such discrepancies have led to non-utilization of funds in respect of almost all the Lok Sabha members from Assam, whether from the ruling BJP or the opposition Congress and AIUDF. One reason cited for this state of the funds is the frequent transfer of officers responsible for the implementation of the MPLAD funds and preparation and submission of the various documents. While the state government must look at this aspect, it is also for the MPs to utilize their influence and ensure that officers handling the MPLAD funds are not frequently transferred, if at all such a thing has been happening. In the same tune, it can be also said that the MPs take appropriate steps to inform the people of their respective constituencies of the actual schemes undertaken under the MPLAD-Funds and how such funds are actually spent. While the people have the right to know, it is more important for the MPs to declare these things publicly, especially when the next Lok Sabha elections are drawing closer.