Poonam Sharma
The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is one of the strongest tools of people’s development in India. Initiated on 23 December 1993, the scheme was instituted with the aim of filling the gap between local requirements and the centralized approach to planning for development. Originally administered by the Ministry of Rural Development and subsequently shifted to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in October 1994, MPLADS gives teeth to Members of Parliament (MPs) to suggest development works that generate permanent community assets in accordance with local needs.
In this scheme, every MP is provided with a ₹5 crore every year to suggest works to the District Collector in his constituency. Lok Sabha MPs can select projects in their parliamentary constituencies, and Rajya Sabha MPs can select across districts of their election state. Nominated members of both Houses may select one or more districts from any state in the nation. These allocations are normally for essential infrastructure like roads, drinking water systems, sanitation, schools, hospitals, and community centers.Yet while the MPLADS programme gives MPs a valuable instrument to influence the development path of their constituencies, its actual impact rests on transparency and accountability. For citizens, the best question is not merely how much money was spent—but whether it was spent well. To truly evaluate the work and commitment of our elected representatives, it is essential to assess **where the funds have gone, what projects have been executed, what remains pending**, and how these efforts have improved the lives of people on the ground.
With this attitude of public scrutiny and democratic accountability , we are starting a special series on the spending and development work of Members of Parliament of Bihar . Every day, we are going to feature one MP or Minister—showcasing detailed information on the works taken up how much MPLADS funds were given out and expended , and the effect of these works in their constituencies.
This program seeks to make information available to citizens so that they can ask the right questions and take a more active role in governance. MPLADS can be a very potent tool, but it is most effective when citizens know how their public representatives are spending tax money. Through tracking and bringing to public notice these expenditures in a regular manner, we hope to encourage transparency, enhance accountability, and stimulate improved performance by public representatives.
Over the next few days, this series will highlight the developmental priorities of MPs from Bihar, distinguishing between constructive activity and inaction, and revealing how public money converts—or does not convert—into actual development. This is not merely a matter of statistics; it is about equipping citizens with knowledge so that democracy is strengthened in terms of participation, accountability, and effect at the grassroots level. 
Giriraj Singh: Background & Role
Giriraj Singh is Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Begusarai, Bihar. He is also Union Textiles Minister since June 2024.
His role at the Centre provides him with influence to propose or drive development schemes that can be of use in his constituency.
Major Initiatives & Development Work in Begusarai
Skill Development – Water Hyacinth Craft
Giriraj Singh launched a skill development program on water hyacinth craft in Lakhanpur, Begusarai, in April 2025. The goal was to train more than 200 artisans to make products from water hyacinth, an environment-friendly material.
The program is intended not only for the local empowerment of artisans, particularly women, but also as a sustainable source of income. He showed an intention to replicate such programs elsewhere in Bihar after achieving success.
Infrastructure & Road Work
In recent times, permission has been sanctioned to expand and reinforce some of the major roads in Begusarai. For instance, the State Highway 55 between Veer Kunwar Singh Chowk and Madhuri Dhala (5 km length) is going to be expanded, costing over ₹18 crore.
A road in the adjacent Gopalganj district also got funded. That is technically outside the proper Begusarai, but it indicates infrastructure prioritization on a regional level.
Other Government Initiatives
Bihar Chief Minister laid foundations or inaugurated more than 107 development works worth more than Rs 64 crore in Begusarai district in May 2025. Some were finished, while others were underway. These include local (district/state) work in health, sanitation, women welfare, etc. Giriraj Singh was present at some of them.
Under Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala, food security, and other welfare schemes of the Centre, there are mentions in BJP-documents of beneficiary counts (e.g., provision of shelter, free food grains, LPG connections), though such claims are not as elaborated in independent reports.
Giriraj Singh, the Member of Parliament from Begusarai, has an entitlement of ₹17 crore under the MPLADS scheme for his constituency. As of now, the Government of India has released ₹7 crore, and with accrued interest, the total available funds amount to approximately ₹7.31 crore. Over time, he has recommended projects totaling ₹10.53 crore, out of which ₹5.83 crore have been officially sanctioned. The expenditure incurred on these sanctioned works stands at ₹5.88 crore, reflecting a utilisation rate of about 83.3% of the released funds. Despite this significant utilisation, an unspent balance of ₹1.43 crore remains, indicating that while a major portion of the funds has been effectively deployed for developmental works in Begusarai, there is still room to fully utilise the allocated resources to maximize benefits for the constituency.
Criticisms, Issues & Public Perception
Delayed or Insufficient Ground-Level Works
There has been village-level protest in some areas of Begusarai, particularly in riverine villages of Diara, due to inadequate roads and basic infrastructure. The locals say Giriraj Singh has visited them very rarely after his election, and promises have not been delivered to their content.
Divergence between Expectations and Deliverables
Some of the state government officials and local leaders have accused Singh of not doing enough. For instance, during a review meeting, the state minister for rural development of Bihar stated that Begusarai has not received sufficient welfare under Giriraj Singh’s period, stating that he has been unable to develop even his constituency.
Perception of Reduced Margin in 2024
While Giriraj Singh did win from Begusarai in 2024, his margin of victory was less than in earlier elections. This has been read by some observers and local experts as an indication that ground work perhaps did not fulfill expectations of all sections of the electorate.
Assessment: Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Capacity to utilize central ministries (particularly textiles) to launch programmes in Begusarai (such as training in handicrafts).
Some infrastructural work is visible (roads, development schemes through state-centre partnerships).
Rollouts of welfare schemes seem to be under way (housing, gas connections, food security etc., although precise data is mixed).
Weaknesses / Gaps
Delays or lack of rural, remote, particularly riverine (Diara) coverage.
Public sense of neglect in some villages.
Insufficient detailed, clear data in most reports makes it difficult to estimate overall impact, particularly in health, education, water supply, sanitation.
Certain criticisms point out there should be greater work on industrial development, job creation above welfare programs.
Conclusion
Giriraj Singh has begun some of the major programmes in his constituency—most notably in artisan skill development, infrastructure, and welfare schemes. His role as a central minister has provided him with the ability to bring central schemes to Begusarai. But significant gaps in implementation, particularly in rural constituencies, persist, where the infrastructure (roads, connectivity) is still a significant concern as per various reports. Public discontent in specific pockets reveals that standards are not fully fulfilled.
