{"id":4441,"date":"2025-06-16T00:24:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T18:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=4441"},"modified":"2025-06-16T00:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T18:54:58","slug":"bengalurus-mlas-mps-report-cards-are-out-wealth-grows-as-public-funds-go-unused","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=4441","title":{"rendered":"Bengaluru\u2019s MLAs\/MPs Report Cards Are Out: Wealth Grows as Public Funds Go Unused"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bengaluru Report Cards Reveal Stark Contrasts in MP and MLA Performance: High Absenteeism, Unspent Funds, and Surging Wealth\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Citizen-led initiative highlights transparency gaps, lack of urban governance push, and under-utilization of public funds<\/em><\/p>\n

Bengaluru | 14 June 2025<\/strong> \u2014 As Bengaluru\u2019s Members of Parliament complete one year in the 18th Lok Sabha and its MLAs mark two years in the 16th Assembly, a new set of Citizens\u2019 Report Cards<\/strong>, released by civic watchdog CIVIC Bangalore<\/strong>, presents a revealing snapshot of their performance\u2014raising critical questions about accountability, governance, and the disconnect between elected representatives and the city\u2019s urban challenges.<\/p>\n

The report cards, compiled over six months by citizen volunteers and student interns using public data, evaluate the city\u2019s four MPs and 32 MLAs<\/strong> across legislative participation, fund utilization, criminal backgrounds, and financial disclosures.<\/p>\n

\n

MP Performance: Attendance vs. Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The report finds sharp disparities among Bengaluru\u2019s MPs. P.C. Mohan<\/strong> leads with an attendance of 98.51%<\/strong>, while Tejasvi Surya<\/strong> lags at 77.61%<\/strong>, falling below the national average of 87%. However, Surya stood out in other areas, having raised 84 questions<\/strong> and participated in 13 debates<\/strong>, outperforming his peers.<\/p>\n

In contrast, Mohan participated in only one debate, where he sought electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme via Lok Sabha Rule 377.<\/p>\n

Regarding local area development (LAD) funds, Dr. C.N. Manjunath<\/strong> tops the list, having allocated \u20b96.3 crore<\/strong>, while P.C. Mohan used just \u20b947 lakh<\/strong> of the \u20b95 crore available.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis data challenges the assumption that high attendance translates into active engagement,\u201d observed Kathyayini Chamaraj<\/strong>, Chairperson of CIVIC Bangalore.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

MLAs: Alarming Trends in Inactivity and Unused Funds<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On the legislative front, N. Shreenivasaiah<\/strong> of Nelamangala was the only MLA to record 100% attendance<\/strong>, though just 29%<\/strong> of MLAs attended more than 90% of the sessions. Priya Krishna<\/strong> registered the lowest attendance at 53.62%<\/strong>\u2014in a House that met only 69 times<\/strong> in two years.<\/p>\n

Shockingly, nearly a third (32%)<\/strong> of non-ministerial MLAs did not ask a single question. N.A. Haris<\/strong> of Shanthinagar raised 230 unstarred questions<\/strong>, while S. Muniraju<\/strong> of Dasarahalli asked seven starred questions<\/strong>, the highest among MLAs.<\/p>\n

Despite the pressing need for urban reforms, none of the city\u2019s MLAs or MPs introduced Private Member Bills<\/strong> to tackle Bengaluru\u2019s governance issues\u2014an omission CIVIC calls \u201ca serious missed opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe 74th Constitutional Amendment remains unimplemented in spirit. Not a single legislator is using the platforms available to bring attention to this structural failure,\u201d Chamaraj added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Funds Lying Idle: \u20b940 Crore Unspent<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While LAD funds allocated to MPs roll over each year, MLA funds under the Karnataka Local Area Development Scheme (KLLADS)<\/strong> expire after two years. Only four MLAs<\/strong> have fully utilized their \u20b94 crore entitlement, and 22%<\/strong> have used more than 90%.<\/p>\n

Disturbingly, \u20b940.79 crore remains unspent<\/strong>, with another \u20b94.84 crore at risk of forfeiture<\/strong>. S. Manjula<\/strong> of Mahadevapura has not allocated a single rupee from her fund.<\/p>\n

\n

Skyrocketing Net Worths and Criminal Cases<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Financial disclosures revealed startling growth in the net worth of several MLAs. K. Gopalaiah<\/strong> of Mahalakshmi Layout reported a 1,399.57%<\/strong> increase over his previous term. Munirathna<\/strong> of Rajarajeshwari Nagar followed with a 959.63%<\/strong> spike, while N.A. Haris<\/strong> saw his wealth rise by 318.62%<\/strong>. R. Ashok<\/strong>, Leader of the Opposition, reported a 104%<\/strong> increase.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Munirathna<\/strong> also leads in criminal cases, with eight cases<\/strong>, including sexual harassment charges<\/strong>. A rape and honeytrap chargesheet<\/strong> was filed against him in December 2024. CIVIC noted that up-to-date criminal data could not be verified at the time of the report.<\/p>\n

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Call for Reform and Transparency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

CIVIC Bangalore, which has championed citizen participation and democratic accountability since 1995, emphasized the urgent need for deeper engagement from elected representatives, particularly in addressing Bengaluru\u2019s complex urban challenges.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis report isn\u2019t about scoring politicians\u2014it\u2019s about sparking a conversation on performance, priorities, and public responsibility,\u201d said Prakash Belawadi<\/strong>, who presided as the Chief Guest at the event.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The report cards, based on data from Lok Sabha and Assembly websites, LAD dashboards, RTI filings, and NGOs such as PRS India and myneta.info, are available for public review on www.civicspace.in<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Key Highlights at a Glance:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Highest MP attendance:<\/strong> P.C. Mohan (98.51%)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Most active MP in debates\/questions:<\/strong> Tejasvi Surya (13 debates, 84 questions)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Highest MLA attendance:<\/strong> N. Shreenivasaiah (100%)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Lowest MLA attendance:<\/strong> Priya Krishna (53.62%)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Most unstarred questions (MLA):<\/strong> N.A. Haris (230)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Funds unspent (KLLADS):<\/strong> \u20b940.79 crore<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Top net worth increase:<\/strong> K. Gopalaiah (1,399.57%)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Most criminal cases:<\/strong> Munirathna (8)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u2705 SHORT SUMMARY<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    CIVIC Bangalore has released Citizens\u2019 Report Cards evaluating the performance of Bengaluru\u2019s 4 MPs and 32 MLAs, based on attendance, debates, questions raised, fund utilization, criminal records, and financial disclosures. The findings reveal significant disparities in engagement, large amounts of unspent development funds, a lack of legislative initiative to address urban governance crises, and steep surges in personal wealth among some elected representatives.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udccc CONTEXT & BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Bengaluru\u2019s MPs have completed 1 year in office in the 18th Lok Sabha, and MLAs have completed 2 years in the 16th Karnataka Legislative Assembly. In this context, CIVIC Bangalore, a public interest trust, conducted a 6-month study to evaluate their legislative and constituency performance. The study aimed to promote democratic accountability and strengthen citizen engagement in governance.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f STATEMENTS & QUOTES<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n

    \ud83d\udde8\ufe0f Kathyayini Chamaraj<\/strong>, Chairperson, CIVIC Bangalore:
    \u201cIt is disheartening that not one Bengaluru legislator used a Private Member Bill to raise issues of urban governance. This shows a glaring indifference to the structural crises facing the city.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udde8\ufe0f Prakash Belawadi<\/strong>, Chief Guest:
    \u201cThis isn\u2019t a blame game. These report cards are tools to make democracy more participatory and representatives more responsive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udde8\ufe0f CIVIC Volunteer:
    \u201cDespite massive challenges Bengaluru faces\u2014floods, traffic, pollution\u2014not a single MP or MLA thought it fit to push for reforms via Private Bills. We need proactive representatives, not silent seat-fillers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udde8\ufe0f CIVIC Intern:
    \u201c\u20b940 crores in unspent MLA development funds while communities lack basics like drainage and footpaths is simply unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \u2753Q & A Section<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Q: What is the Citizens\u2019 Report Card project?<\/strong>
    A: It is an initiative by CIVIC Bangalore that evaluates elected representatives on parameters like attendance, questions raised, LAD fund utilization, criminal cases, and financial growth.<\/p>\n

    Q: Which MP had the best attendance?<\/strong>
    A: P.C. Mohan with 98.51%.<\/p>\n

    Q: Who asked the most questions among MPs?<\/strong>
    A: Tejasvi Surya, with 84 questions and 13 debates.<\/p>\n

    Q: How much MLA development money was left unspent?<\/strong>
    A: \u20b940.79 crore of KLLADS funds remain unused, with \u20b94.84 crore at risk of forfeiture.<\/p>\n

    Q: Which MLA\u2019s net worth increased the most?<\/strong>
    A: K. Gopalaiah from Mahalakshmi Layout, with a 1,399.57% increase.<\/p>\n

    Q: Were any legislators found with criminal records?<\/strong>
    A: Yes, Munirathna has 8 criminal cases, including serious charges like sexual harassment and rape.<\/p>\n

    \ud83d\udcc5 Timeline of Events<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Date<\/strong><\/th>\nEvent<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    May 20, 2023<\/strong><\/td>\nBengaluru\u2019s MLAs begin their current term in the 16th Karnataka Assembly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    June 24, 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nBengaluru\u2019s MPs begin their term in the 18th Lok Sabha.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Dec 2024 \u2013 May 2025<\/strong><\/td>\nCIVIC Bangalore conducts 6-month analysis using public data and RTI responses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    June 6, 2025<\/strong><\/td>\nCitizens\u2019 Report Cards officially released at Ashirvad Centre, Bengaluru.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    June 14, 2025<\/strong><\/td>\nPublic press note issued highlighting key findings and making data public via CIVIC\u2019s website.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \u2696\ufe0f Legal & Administrative Aspects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Legal Dimensions:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • \n

      MLA LAD Funds (KLLADS)<\/strong>: These are governed by clear state-level guidelines; unused funds lapse after 2 years, causing loss of potential public works.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      MP LAD Funds (MPLADS)<\/strong>: Central scheme with funds rolling over annually; delayed utilization can lead to administrative review.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Private Member Bills<\/strong>: Constitutionally allowed under Article 107, but rarely used. The neglect indicates missed legislative opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Administrative Concerns:<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • \n

        Poor fund utilization can prompt audit queries by the AG<\/strong> (Accountant General).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Unspent LAD funds<\/strong> in some wards could delay local infrastructure projects, particularly in urban poor areas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        #BengaluruReportCard #MPMLAPerformance #AccountabilityMatters #CitizenAudit #CIVICBangalore #UrbanGovernance #LADFunds #TransparencyInPolitics #NetWorthVsPublicWorth #SilentLegislators<\/p>\n

        \n

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        Bengaluru Report Cards Reveal Stark Contrasts in MP and MLA Performance: High Absenteeism, Unspent Funds, and Surging Wealth\u00a0 Citizen-led initiative highlights transparency gaps, lack of urban governance push, and under-utilization of public funds Bengaluru | 14 June 2025 \u2014 As Bengaluru\u2019s Members of Parliament complete one year in the 18th Lok Sabha and its MLAs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[73,1005,1006,1007],"class_list":["post-4441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengaluru","tag-bengaluru","tag-citizens-report-cards","tag-civic-bangalore","tag-mp-performance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4441"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4444,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4441\/revisions\/4444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}