Businessman-turned-politician Mahabal Mishra might be a first-time Lok Sabha member from West Delhi but he had been an MLA from Dwarka assembly constituency for three consecutive terms. His popularity among locals can be judged from the fact that he defeated heavyweight BJP leader Prof. Jagdish Mukhi by a margin of over 1 lakh votes in the 15th Lok Sabha elections.

The West Delhi constituency, which Mishra represents, consists of 80 villages. With  the MP local area development (MPLAD) funds he got, he has addressed a major problem of the Madhipur village in Raghubeer Nagar - potable water.  Residents of this resettled colony set-up almost three decades back, did not receive drinking water at their homes. People were either dependent on the hand pump in the locality or a common tap. Through the MPLAD fund, the Under Ground Reservoirs project has been started in the area, which will provide potable water in the houses.

Project: Water and sewage line at Raghubir Nagar in West Delhi

Objective: To provide potable water in houses in the locality.

Date of commencement: 17th June 2010

Deadline: Will take approximately four months to complete the work

Completion: Work in progress

Estimated cost: Rs 1 crore

Executing agency: Delhi Jal Board

I decided to check if the project will bring relief to the residents or not. I found that residents, of this congested colony, had a difficult time fighting over water. Also, the water which they get from the hand punp and the common tap had an unpleasant taste. Though it will take another four months to complete this work, this new line will definitely help the residents in getting clean water in their houses.

Sanjay Bishaia, a resident of Madhipur says, "Every morning we form queue to get water from the handpump, which was bitter to taste. It was really difficult. But now we are hopeful that after this line starts functioning, we will get water in our houses."

I am also prompted to think that the project has made a promising start toward solving Madhipur's drinking water problem.

But according to the information available on www.mplads.gov.in there are many projects where funds have been allocated from Mahabal Mishra's MPLAD fund but the work is yet to kick off. "Our duty is to allocate funds to the agency. If they have not started the work then they should be answerable. But I think the work is in progress at all locations," says Mishra.

Some of these projects are -

Parking space infront of Panchayati Gurudwaran at Block 14 in Tilak Nagar for which Rs 9,50,000 have been sanctioned to the MCD on June 1, 2010. The first (unchanged) completion date is December 1, 2010.

Tube well in Village Neegli Sakrawati for which Rs 4,98,289 have been sanctioned to the MCD on June 23, 2010. December 24, 2010 has been listed as the date of completion.