BJP MP Kangana Ranaut lost her patience with officials during a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, questioning them over the non-utilisation of funds and a growing backlog of development works in her constituency.
“What is this behaviour? Why are we holding meetings if you don’t want to do anything?
It’s become a bloody joke,” she said. “You guys should put the pressure and take the public money back from them,” she said. Questioning whether the issue fell within her scope of work, Ranaut said there was a backlog of funds from the previous year that remained untouched. In another part of the meeting, Ranaut said people had begun questioning her during interviews about why certain works in the constituency were not being completed.
“Don’t give me these useless jumlas (fake promises). She also alleged that obstacles were being created for 11 road projects worth ₹ 75 crore and accused Congress MLAs of taking credit for projects brought to the area under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). I’m getting them at every Disha Committee meeting,” the 40-year-old BJP MP said.
“We do what falls within our scope of work, but there are shortcomings on the part of the state government as well,” she said, adding that she had held several meetings and tried to engage with officials. Ranaut said she had warned departments that she would prepare a formal report and send it to the Centre if there was no visible improvement. Earlier reporting noted: Taking a strong dig at the system, the Mandi MP said “30 to 40 per cent” of public money goes into the wrong hands, underlining the need for stronger monitoring and accountability.
Earlier reporting noted: While reviewing development works and schemes under DISHA, Kangana Ranaut stressed that government money must reach the intended beneficiaries and should not be misused.
