"Lazy, Incompetent": Kangana Ranaut's Fiery Exchange With Officials In Mandi

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut came down heavily on officials during a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, questioning the implementation of Centre-sponsored schemes and the utilisation of public funds.While reviewing development works and schemes under DISHA, Ranaut stressed that government money must reach the intended beneficiaries and should not be misused.Taking a strong dig at the system, the Mandi MP said "30 to 40 per cent" of public money goes into the wrong hands, underlining the need for stronger monitoring and accountability."The public money should not go into the wrong hands," Ranaut said, stressing that any negligence or irregularity in the implementation of schemes should not be ignored.Ranaut cited pending work and asked the officials how she should respond to the media when asked about the allocation of work and development in her constituency."The time for 'addressing' things is gone. Those are two-year-old matters. Those are one-and-a-half to two-year-old matters. Now get the job done and report to me that this is done! Kangana allocated Rs 11 crore, yet not a single piece of work was carried out. It is so incompetent, so wretched," she said."What am I supposed to say before the media out there? That people come here only to draw their salaries? What am I supposed to say about the people of our state? What am I to say about their work ethic? That they are utterly lazy, utterly incompetent people occupying these chairs? Is that what I should say to the national media? About my own constituency? And about my own mountain people?" Ranaut added.Ranaut told officials that Centre-sponsored schemes should not remain confined to paperwork and that their benefits must reach villages and people who genuinely need them.She also directed officials to keep a close watch on the quality of development works, the progress of schemes, and the utilisation of government funds, while ensuring that projects are completed within stipulated timelines.The BJP MP has previously expressed displeasure over the functioning of officials during DISHA meetings. During a meeting in October 2025, she had also warned officials against taking the review exercise lightly and asked them to ensure greater seriousness in development-related work.Ranaut's latest outburst has once again put the spotlight on official accountability, monitoring of government schemes and transparency in the utilisation of public funds in Mandi.