Kangana Ranaut, the Member of Parliament from Mandi, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the performance of administrative officials during a district development coordination and monitoring committee meeting. While reviewing central schemes and works funded through the MP local area development fund, she pulled up the officers for their lax attitude and stressed the importance of public accountability.
Severe Questions Over Unspent Funds
During the review, it came to light that out of roughly 11 crore rupees available under her MP fund, officials had managed to spend a mere 50 lakh rupees. Taking strict note of this massive gap, she made it clear that she would not entertain empty excuses, noting that she encounters the exact same rhetoric at every single committee meeting. She questioned Block Development Officers regarding the sluggish pace and demanded detailed performance reports on expenditure. She pointed out that earlier assurances in committee meetings claimed roughly 90 percent of the funds had been utilized without any issues.
Outrage Over Administrative Inaction
The parliamentarian voiced her frustration about needing official letters from the central government just to spur local officials into action, despite which tasks remain undone. She added that her office communications are routinely ignored, leading to negative publicity and mockery on social media platforms through user-generated reels. Expressing deep embarrassment over the public ridicule, she remarked that officials ought to feel ashamed, even suggesting that if given their office, she could accomplish the pending work in a single day.
Warning Against Misuse of Public Money
Addressing the core objective of welfare initiatives, she emphasized that government programs are meant to uplift eligible citizens and ensure public funds are never wasted. She raised concerns that approximately 30 to 40 percent of public money ends up in the wrong hands, calling for a much stronger monitoring framework. She instructed officials to ensure that central schemes do not remain confined to paperwork but genuinely reach rural households and those in actual need, maintaining strict oversight on construction quality and expenditure.
Emphasis on Transparency and Timely Execution
Concluding the review, she reiterated that elected representatives and bureaucrats share a joint duty to deploy public resources with absolute transparency. Any negligence or irregularity at any tier must be dealt with firmly rather than ignored. She issued a clear directive to complete development projects within stipulated deadlines while maintaining high standards so that the ultimate beneficiaries receive the intended support.
