After a long wait since the new government was formed in Jammu and Kashmir, elected MLAs in the Union Territory have started receiving the first part of their Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Each MLA will get ₹3 crore for development work in their areas.
However, it is ₹1 crore less than what MLAs used to receive when Jammu and Kashmir was a state.
However, many MLAs are unhappy about having to give details of the development work they plan to do before receiving the funds.
Several MLAs told THE WEEK that CDF is a fund meant to help MLAs respond to several needs in their constituencies, at the earliest.
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“Providing details of different developmental works that an MLA intends to carry out in the constituency in advance shouldn’t be a prerequisite for release of CDF,” said a BJP MLA. “Sometimes, there are incidents like fire where monetary assistance is provided to the victims. But if you have to provide the details of work that you want to execute beforehand, that will make it difficult for the MLAs to respond to such situations,” he added.
Hasnain Masood, a National Conference MLA from Pampore, said, “Once the MLA submits the list of the developmental work he plans to carry out in his constituencies, there is no room left to help people in need.”
The delay in releasing the funds happened because of the change in Jammu and Kashmir’s status from a state to a Union Territory. The administration took time to study how other Union Territories manage CDFs before finalising the process for Jammu and Kashmir.
The rules for CDFs are different in states and Union Territories. After reviewing how UTs across India handle these funds, the government decided to give ₹3 crore as the first payment to each MLA.
There are 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. But after the death of BJP MLA Devender Rana, only 89 MLAs will receive the fund this year.
