‘Should I give money like an idiot?’: Kangana Ranaut lashes out at Mandi officials over ₹11 cr in unutilized funds | Today’s news

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut lashed out at officials in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi. In the video, the actor-politician is seen accusing them of sitting on public money and allowing a backlog of development works to accumulate despite repeated meetings and inspections.

Kangana Ranaut lashes out at Mandi officials ₹11 million pending funds

Ranaut lost her temper at a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, or DISHA, where she questioned officials about the pace at which funds linked to development projects in her parliamentary constituency were being utilised.

A video of the meeting, which has been widely circulated online, shows MP Mandi delivering an unusually scathing assessment of the administration’s work culture.

“What kind of behavior is this? Why are you doing such a show-sha of protocol meetings? You don’t need to do this work to your people. It has become a bloody joke,” Ranaut said.

Her main complaint was the apparent delay in the use of funds intended for development work. Ranaut said about half of the allocated amount ₹11 million crowns were still not used, while it was asked why projects from the earlier allocation cycle still remain pending.

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“Abhi bhi gyarah crore mein se half amount… half amount use nahi hua hai,” she said before claiming that some beneficiaries or implementing agencies have received the money but failed to do the work.

“You should apply pressure and take back their public money. Is this my job? Sharm nahi aati kya tum logon ko?” she asked.

Ranaut’s remarks reflect her frustration not only with one delayed project, but also with what she described as backlogs that are making it increasingly difficult to move on to new development work.

“Even now, the funds allocated to me, including my next year’s allotment from the MP fund, which is still lying untouched, must be allocated to these people. How do I do this? It’s already backlogged. Should I keep handing out money like an idiot? Who will take care of the backlog?” she said.

She also challenged officials present at the meeting about the manpower available to them, arguing that the remaining work could be completed much faster. “There are all these people, tell me, I didn’t get your office for one day, I’ll show work in one day,” she said.

What is the mechanism of DISHA?

The DISHA mechanism is specifically designed to bring together elected representatives and district authorities to monitor the implementation of central government programs and identify bottlenecks delaying development work. Government guidelines say that district-level committees will regularly review the programs and work towards their timely implementation.

The dispute also affects the wider MPLADS fund management system. Under this scheme, MPs can recommend development works up to the above ₹5 crore per annum, with district authorities and implementing agencies responsible for implementing approved projects and monitoring their progress. Official guidelines place responsibility for coordination and oversight at the district level and allow action to be taken in cases of serious delays, negligence or non-compliance.

However, Ranaut did not seem convinced that the existing control system was delivering results.

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“What kind of people are you all?” she asked officials, claiming they had to be repeatedly pushed through letters from the center to complete their work.

She also mentioned the growing criticism and memes surrounding her and the development issues in the constituency and asked if the officials were just sitting back despite the negative attention.

“If I were to reveal all this, what would it look like? How would it affect us as a people? You should put pressure on them and take their public money back. Is this my job? Aren’t you ashamed?” Ranaut said, warning that she might publicly discuss the administration’s work culture at the national level.

Her outburst highlighted an increasingly public confrontation between an elected representative demanding faster delivery and officials responsible for turning approved funds into field work.

Officials targeted by the meeting had not publicly responded to Ranaut’s allegations at the time of publication.