Visakhapatnam: For Vizag MP Kambhampati Haribabu , 65, marking his attendance in Parliament is almost as important as ensuring that he deploys his MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme ).According to data compiled by the MP’s office, Haribabu has spent most of his MPLADS funds in three sectors — healthcare, education and public sanitation. “He chose these three sectors based on the feedback he got from constituents from all seven assembly segments in Visakhapatnam parliamentary constituency,” said Kesavakanth Adusumilli, general secretary of BJP’s Visakhapatnam city unit.“Haribabu used his MPLAD funds and CSR funds from oil marketing companies to buy benches for all high schools in the constituencies. Today, all students sit on benches for their classes, unlike earlier days when many of them had to sit on the floor,” added Adusumilli, who joined the BJP in 2013 after a long career in the private sector and the DRDO.Apart from funding borewells, another segment which has been the MP’s focus is the setting up of solar water heaters in all government maternity hospitals in the constituency. “The solar water heaters enable the hospital to provide warm water to expectant mothers at the hospitals,” said Adusumilli.According to him, Haribabu utilised the entire Rs 25 crore in MPLADS in his first term as MP. “In fact, the allocation has crossed Rs 27 crore in these five years,” he said.Complete and sensible deployment of funds is not the only area where Haribabu has set an example. His attendance record in Parliament, 97%, is among the top percentile among all Lok Sabha MPs. “I have made it a point to attend Parliament except when I travelled overseas with then president Pranab Mukherjee,” Haribabu told TOI some time back.According to PRS legislative research, he also raised a total of 322 questions in the Parliament.When in the city, Haribabu spends time meeting his constituents at his office.“He comes to the city office every day when he is in Visakhapatnam, and constituents meet him to seek solutions for their problems,” Adusumilli said.

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