This is a quarrel that does not follow any party line but it is no less intense as members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha slug it out — verbally — over whether they should surrender canteen subsidy in the Parliament House Complex.
And, the decision of the Committee on Food Management in Parliament House Complex to retain the subsidy has clearly not settled the issue as several MPs continue to discuss the campaign launched by some of their colleagues to give up the subsidised food and other provisions.
Agitated by the campaign launched by Biju Janata Dal member Baijayant “Jay” Panda to “End Parliament Canteen Subsidy,’’ several members on Wednesday started a counter-campaign, asking him and others who supported his idea, to first give up “all indirect and illegal subsidies like loan waivers and tax concessions.’’
Also, according to them, even if the MPs give up subsidies, food subsidies should be continued for the 8,000 beneficiaries working in Parliament House, including Secretariat staff, security personnel, media persons and underpaid contract employees.
The initiative of starting such a signature campaign was taken by Communist Party of India (Marxist) member M.B. Rajesh and he had got a dozen MPs from his own party and the Congress to endorse it within the first hour.
Mr. Panda came in for some personal targeting. Referring to his letter to MPs asking them to give up subsidy for Parliament canteen and set an example for the entire nation, the signatories said they would endorse his move if he would set a “personal’’ example by giving up loan waivers reportedly secured by companies run by his family.
Such loan waivers and Non-Performing Assets, according to the letter, make for a “bigger ethical issue’’ than the “paltry amount’’ on food subsidy. “We hope you will give up all big benefits and concessions received and will oppose all concessions to corporate and other affluent sections in future,’’ the counter-campaign suggested.
