Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently announced that the State-level Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee will pass a resolution to formally request the Union government to significantly raise the allocation under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to ₹10 crore.
During a meeting held at the Secretariat in Chennai on Friday, Mr. Stalin also voiced concerns over the cumbersome approval processes. He specifically highlighted delays stemming from the eSAKSHI portal, which handles revised fund flow procedures, and the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) portal, used for managing funds and tracking expenditures for MPLADS. He stressed the need for the State nodal agency to be granted more authority to streamline these processes and avoid unnecessary hold-ups.
The Chief Minister emphasized that increasing MPLADS funds to ₹10 crore is a long-standing demand, especially considering that the MLA Constituency Development Scheme currently receives ₹3 crore. This increase would enable more robust local development initiatives.
Furthermore, Mr. Stalin pointed out that the Tamil Nadu government consistently releases its share of funds for joint welfare programs undertaken with the Union government. He urged the Union government to reciprocate by ensuring timely release of its own share of funds to the State, a request that will also be formally made through the committee meeting.
The important meeting saw the participation of several key figures, including Ministers I. Periyasamy, M.R.K. Panneerselvam, and P. Geetha Jeevan. Also present were Members of Parliament T.R. Baalu, Thol. Thirumavalavan, K. Subbarayan, B. Manickam Tagore, Su. Venkatesan, K. Navaskani, and Durai Vaiko, alongside legislators N. Ezhilan, V.G. Raajendran, Neelamegam M. Boominathan, and J.M.H. Aassan Maulaana, as well as Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and other senior officials.