[ad_1]
New Delhi:
Lok Sabha has handed a invoice to scale back for one yr the salaries of MPs by 30 per cent “to meet the exigencies” arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was launched within the Lower House on Monday. It will substitute the Salary, Allowances And Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
The ordinance was cleared by the Cabinet on April 6 and put in force the subsequent day.
Replying to the talk on the invoice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that funds are wanted to struggle the COVID-19 pandemic and “charity should begin from home”.
He additionally stated that the financial system was affected as a result of lockdown, and in such a scenario, the federal government has taken necessary selections to take care of the disaster.
Responding to the demand by opposition members to revive MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), he stated: “Whatever decision we have taken on MPLADS is temporary and only for two years”.
It was determined by the federal government to droop the MPLADS funds for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
Under the scheme, members of each Houses can advocate growth programmes involving spending of Rs 5 crore yearly.
The Congress and different opposition events in Lok Sabha demanded the restoration of MPLADS funds at the same time as they supported the federal government’s resolution to chop the salaries of members of Parliament.
Leader of the Congress occasion in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, stated the MPLADS funds ought to be restored as it’s being utilized by the members for growth works of their respective constituencies.
Everybody has referred to as for the restoration of the funds, so “why not we pass a unanimous resolution that the fund should be restored,” he stated.
He stated that 93 per cent of the funds have been utilised by the members and the majority of them had been used for welfare actions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and villagers.
He stated that whereas the federal government is giving tax aid to corporates, it’s slicing the salaries of the MPs, and termed it as being “penny-wise and pound-foolish”.
“I am appealing to the House that this fund should be restored,” he added.
Members who echoed the demand included AAP’s Bhagwant Mann, impartial member from Maharashtra Navneet Ravi Rana, Ritesh Pandey (BSP) and AIMIM’s S I Jaleel.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra stated the federal government is doing a disservice via this resolution.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink