New Delhi, May 06: The Supreme Court today upheld the Constitutional validity of the MPLAD scheme under which MPs are allocated Rs two crore annually for development of their constituencies, saying it cannot be scrapped merely because of allegations of misuse by some MPs.
In an unanimous verdict, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said there are “sufficient checks and balances” to prevent misuse of the scheme.
“Mere allegation of misuse of the funds under the Scheme by some MPs by itself may not be a ground for it’s scrapping as checks and safeguards have been provided.
Parliament has the power to enquire and take appropriate action against the erring members,” the Bench, also comprising Justices R V Raveendran, D K Jain, P Sathasivam and J M Panchal, said.
–Agencies