Oppn may raise MPLADS issue at all-party meet with PM Modi

An all party meeting called by the Prime Minister on Wednesday may see opposition parties pushing back against the central government’s decision to suspend the Member

An all party meeting called by the Prime Minister on Wednesday may see opposition parties pushing back against the central government’s decision to suspend the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme for two years, transferring the funds to the Consolidated Fund of India to help with the fight against Covid-19.

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Some opposition MPs have already gone public with their criticism of the move, but members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party say they are merely politicising the issue.

MPLADS money usually goes towards development work in the constituency of MPs, each of whom receive Rs 5 crore a year towards this. On Monday, the union cabinet decided to suspend the scheme for two years and transfer the amount, around Rs 7900 to the CFI.

While Congress president Sonia Gandhi was silent on the issue in her letter to the Prime Minister, many of her party’s leaders have expressed disappointment at the suspension of the scheme. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari on Tuesday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting him to reconsider the decision.

Many MPs said the funds helped them provide immediate relief to people in their constituencies and said they will not be able to fulfil their duties as elected representatives if the scheme is suspended.

Sonia Gandhi on March 27, offered her MPLADS fund to the Rae Bareli district magistrate towards fighting the coronavirus in her constituency. .

CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that if the government diverted MPLADS money to the Consolidated Fund of India, “it will be used to clean up the economic mess”.

“The states and the MPs at the local level need the fund as they know where to use it. The government is denying the states and the MPs the opportunity,” he said, adding that the issue will be raised in the all-party meeting.

Trinamool Congress’ Sudip Bandopadhyay said that in addition to raising this, his party’s MPs would demand more funds be given to the states and the clearance of the dues the Centre owes the states. “We will also talk about the MPLADS order as it hampers important work at the ground level against Covid-19.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin termed the move “undemocratic” and argued that MPLADS is not an allowance for parliamentarians but funds for projects that are needed by the people in a constituency.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule expressed the hope that the entire amount of MPLAD funds contributed by all Maharashtra MPs of both houses will be used for the welfare of the people of the state.

Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena said the Prime Minister should have consulted the leaders of all political parties before taking such a decision.

Two BJP MPs said all ruing party MPs support the decision to donate MPLADs as well deductions from their salary for the PMCARES Fund.

BJP leader Prabhat Jha, whose term as a Rajya Sabha MP ends this week, said the Congress was politicising an issue that concerns all. “This is a global war and everyone has to fight it. The issue of not donating their MPLADS funds is inappropriate at the moment..”

Another BJP MP from Chhattisgarh who did not wish to be named said the bickering over the funds is misplaced: “When the country is fighting an enemy that has brought the whole world to its knees, what can be more important; small works using the MPLADS funds or the bigger necessity of building hospitals, researching vaccines and helping people?”

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