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

NEW DELHI: 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.

Some opposition MPS have already gone public with their criticism, but members of the ruling BJP say they are merely politicising the issue.

MPLADS money usually goes towards development work in the constituency of MPS, each of whom receive ₹5 crore a year for it. On Monday, the union cabinet decided to suspend the scheme and transfer the amount, around ₹7900 crore, 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. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari wrote 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 that they will not be able to fulfil their duties if the scheme is suspended.

Sonia Gandhi, on March 27, offered her funds to the Rae Bareli district towards fighting the coronavirus .

CPI(M) 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”.

Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandopadhyay said, “We will talk about the MPLADS order as it hampers important work at the ground level against Covid-19.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin termed the move “undemocratic”.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule expressed the hope that the funds contributed by all Maharashtra MPS will be used for the welfare of people of the state. Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena said the PM should have consulted all political parties before taking such a decision.

Two BJP MPS said all ruing party MPS supported the move.

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

Another BJP MP said: “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 bigger necessity of building hospitals?”