Kangana Ranaut questioned officials over slow MPLADS spending, with only around ₹50 lakh used from nearly ₹11 crore available.
The BJP MP challenged conflicting expenditure figures and earlier assurances that around 90% of funds had been utilised.
Ranaut directed officials to accelerate pending development projects and ensure proper utilisation of available MPLADS funds in Mandi.
Kangana Ranaut pulled up officials in her Mandi constituency over slow spending under the MPLADS scheme after only about ₹50 lakh was used out of around ₹11 crore available in her MP fund. The confrontation took place during a DISHA meeting in Himachal Pradesh and was reported by India Today on 5 September 2026. Prateek Chakraborty wrote the report.
A video of the meeting went viral. Ranaut, a 40-year-old actor and BJP MP, questioned officials over why development funds in the constituency had moved so slowly and why the figures shown to her did not match actual expenditure.
Ranaut’s criticism centred on delays, conflicting spending claims and her charge that pending projects in Mandi were adding to public criticism of her performance as an MP.
Funds And Figures
The meeting focused on spending gaps. DISHA stands for District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, where MPs review development work and fund use.
Ranaut questioned Block Development Officers over the delay and demanded a performance report on expenditure. “Don’t give me these useless jumlas (fake promises). I’m getting them at every Disha Committee meeting,” Ranaut said during the meeting.
She also challenged earlier assurances on fund use. “When I asked about the MPLADS funds during DISHA Committee meetings, I was told there was ‘absolutely no hiccup’ and that around 90 per cent of the funds had been spent,” Ranaut said. She added that the figures presented to her did not match the actual expenditure.
Allegations And Criticism
Ranaut widened her attack. She referred to findings by agencies that allegedly showed 30-40% of MPLADS funds had been distributed to fraudulent individuals and said officials had been unable to recover the money.
She also linked the issue to criticism she faces in public. Ranaut said she was being mocked in the national media over her performance as an MP and took a swipe at the bureaucracy, saying, “The officials are even better at acting than me.”
The exchange turned heated. During the meeting, Ranaut used abusive words, including “s*t” and “s**t**e”, while hitting out at officials over the handling of development funds, as per India Today.
Pending Works Ordered
Ranaut also pointed to unfinished projects. She alleged that people in Mandi were making reels about pending development works every day.
She accused officials of being busy laughing and “cursing” her in their offices while projects remained incomplete. She then directed officials to speed up pending development works in Mandi.
Ranaut told officials to ensure the available MPLADS funds were utilised properly and that delayed works moved faster.
