Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday urged Members of Parliament to generously contribute from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in flood affected Kerala besides considering donating a month’s salary.
Both the Presiding Officers of Parliament took the lead by announcing their decision to donate a month’s salary for relief work.
The two issued joint appeal after a meeting at Mr. Naidu’s residence.
“Hon’ble Members are aware that there has been large scale devastation in various parts of Kerala due to floods in the State in which many people have lost their lives and thousands are left stranded besides heavy damage to property. Keeping in view the intensity and magnitude of the floods in Kerala, the Government of India has declared this a calamity of a ‘severe nature’,” Mr. Naidu said.
Guidelines for aid
The Guidelines of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme has provision that in the event of ‘Calamity of severe nature’ in any part of the country, an MP can recommend works up to a maximum of ₹1 cr. for the affected district. The guidelines further say that from the day an MP makes such contribution, concerned authorities have to identify relief works in one month time and the same should be implemented within eight months.
“We appeal to all the Members of Parliament to contribute generously from their MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation works in the affected areas of Kerala, as permissible under the MPLADS Guidelines, accordingly,” Ms. Mahajan said. The two Presiding Officers will also be writing letters to individual members of both the houses with this request.
Amidst raging debate on designating the Kerala floods a national disaster, the Rajya Sabha secretariat sought an explanation from Ministry of Home Affairs on August 16.
“Keeping in view of the intensity and magnitude of the floods/landslides of 2018 in Kerala, this is a calamity of a ‘severe nature’ for all practical purposes,” the Ministry said in its reply.
