MPs demand steep hike in MPLAD fund
May 15, 2007 - 6:49:57 PM
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When Swain, joined by other MPs, demanded a response from the government, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee warned them, 'People are watching us. People will see how we are fighting among ourselves.'
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By IANS,
[RxPG] New Delhi, May 15 - Parliamentarians Tuesday made an unsuccessful attempt to make the government promise a steep hike in their local area development funds. But Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, in view of the several house adjournments, suggested that they should propose 'no work; no pay' instead.
Although MPs belonging to various parties, barring the Left, urged the treasury benches to promise a rise in the MP Local Area Development - Funds, the government did not oblige.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Kharabela Swain of the Bharatiya Janata Party - said the MPLADs funds should be increased from Rs.30 million to Rs.50 million.
'You should either increase it or scrap it. So that we can tell our voters that we are meant only to make speeches not for doing any serious works,' Swain said in the Lok Sabha.
According to Swain, contrary to the public perception, the MPLAD funds are directly released to district authorities. 'The public impression is that the prime minister brings a suitcase of cash and distributes it to MPs for them to spend as they want. They do not know there are too many checks over it,' Swain said.
Quoting a government report, the BJP MP said the utilisation of the MPLAD fund is 90.87 percent and no other government funds are spent at that rate.
When Swain, joined by other MPs, demanded a response from the government, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee warned them, 'People are watching us. People will see how we are fighting among ourselves.'
Pointing out that the Lok Sabha did not function properly with so many interruptions, Chatterjee then said: 'I hope you would say no work no pay.'
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