Context: As part of the efforts to mobilise financial resources for COVID-19 vaccination of people in the age group of 18 to 44 years, Rajasthan has approved a proposal to provide Rs 3 crore each from the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) Fund.

• For meeting the expenses, the fund for each legislator has been increased from Rs 2.25 crore to Rs 5 crore a year.

MLA Local Area Development (LAD) Fund scheme

• Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development is a scheme that enables each MLA to undertake small developmental works in his/her constituency through the allocated funds of Rs. 2 crore per year.
• Under this scheme, funds will be provided in the State's Plan Budget every year.
• The MLALAD Scheme is intended to be utilised for small but essential projects/works based on the felt needs of the local public.
• It is also meant to be used for providing missing links to operationalise non-operational plan assets for which funds cannot be provided under any other on-going programme.
• This fund is not tied to any development sector.
• The Planning & Convergence Department has issued the guidelines on Scheme Concept, implementation, and monitoring.
• The Department has initiated all necessary steps to ensure that the scheme is successfully implemented in the field.
• The progress of the works being implemented under the scheme is monitored on a regular basis.

Features

• The type of work under this scheme should be developmental in nature based on locally felt.
• The work should be such that it can be completed within one financial year and lead to the creation of durable assets.
• Minimum of 10% fund allocated should be utilized for capacity building and training of unemployed youth in the state.
• The work to be taken under MLA LADS should not be under Rs. 1 lakh in each case.