Mandi: Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut took a strict stance against delays and irregularities in development projects during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office hall in Mandi district headquarters, Himachal Pradesh. Pulled up over stalled work despite allocated funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, officials faced sharp criticism from the parliamentarian.
Ranaut made it clear that those sitting on public money will not be spared under any circumstances and demanded that such elements be permanently blacklisted. Addressing the meeting, she stated that nearly 30 to 40 percent of the allocated money remains trapped with the wrong individuals.
She pointed out that people often collect funds based on informal goodwill after securing 5 to 10 signatures without obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOC) or completing land formalities, leaving the work pending for years. To plug these loopholes, she directed the district administration to establish strict rules and a proper legal procedure.
Ranaut instructed that if a person fails to start the work within the stipulated timeframe, the money must be recovered alongside penalties so that the rights of those in need are not compromised.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the progress reports presented by the officials, she remarked that DISHA meetings were reducing to hollow claims and empty rhetoric. She highlighted that when independent agencies conduct inquiries, ground-level execution fails to reach even 50 percent of the targets.
She issued strict instructions demanding an immediate, detailed list and action plan from agencies or individuals whose work progress stands at only 20, 40, or 50 percent.
Emphasizing that the time for reviews has passed, Ranaut stated that she now expects concrete ground results and completed work reports. Senior officials of the district administration and other public representatives were present at the meeting.
