MANDI:
Bollywood actor-turned-politician and BJP Lok Sabha MP from Mandi has kicked up a fresh controversy after a video of her heated exchange with a government official during a review meeting in Mandi went viral on social media.
The meeting, chaired by Ranaut and attended by the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, district officials and some local MLAs, was convened to review development works and utilisation of funds under the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
Ranaut was seen sharply questioning an official over what she described as poor performance and sluggish utilisation of development funds. Her tone and manner of addressing the official, however, drew criticism, with sections of the bureaucracy and social media users describing the episode as an example of the MP’s alleged high-handed approach towards officials.
The controversy comes amid questions over the utilisation of MPLADS funds in Mandi. While MPs are entitled to recommend development works under the scheme, the actual release and expenditure of funds depends on the prescribed administrative process.
Questions have been raised over why a relatively small portion of the available allocation has translated into completed or sanctioned works in the constituency.
The episode has also put the spotlight back on Ranaut’s performance as an MP, with critics questioning whether the responsibility for low utilisation can simply be shifted to government officials.
The BJP MP has largely stayed away from directly facing the national media over the issue, allowing the controversy to gather momentum on social media.
Ranaut, however, later defended herself and alleged that the controversy was part of a “conspiracy” by the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh to undermine her work and deny her credit for development initiatives.
She alleged that the state government was keen to project its own achievements while deliberately obstructing works recommended by the MP. Ranaut also alleged irregularities involving certificates and documentation in some cases and maintained that officials were not cooperating in implementing works.
The Congress government, however, is yet to respond specifically to the allegations.
The latest controversy has therefore opened two uncomfortable questions: why are MPLADS funds reportedly seeing such low utilisation in Mandi, and does an elected representative’s frustration with bureaucratic delays justify publicly berating officials?
For Ranaut, the viral video may have been intended to highlight administrative lethargy.
Instead, it has shifted the political spotlight back onto her own performance, conduct and accountability as Mandi’s Lok Sabha representative.
