MPs give ₹365 cr from local area development fund to fight Covid-19

NEWDELHI: A week after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu appealed to Members of Parliament (MPs) to contribute towards the government’s efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus, about one-third of Rajya Sabha MPs and half of the sitting Lok Sabha MPs have committed contributions. As per the latest information available with the Parliament secretariat, a total of 339 MPs have contributed a total of ₹365 crore from their MPLADS to the Central pool for measures towards tackling exigencies in India emerging from the effect of the pandemic.

PPK Ramacharyulu, secretary in Rajya Sabha secretariat, also informed that the contributions include ₹100 crore from 74 Rajya Sabha members and ₹265 crore from 265 Lok Sabha members.

Both Naidu and Birla have been appraised about the latest status of contributions. Officials close to Naidu indicate that additional measures would be adopted to urge remaining members to send their consent letter to the Ministry of statistics and programme implementation, the nodal ministry for MPLAD.

Some opposition MPs, however, have decided to spend their local area fund within their constituencies instead of committing the money to the central pool. “We also need to do our bit in our constituency to contain coronavirus. Why should we give up our fund to supplement Centre’s effort or leave it to the ministry to decide how to spend the money,” said an Opposition MP who did not wish to be named.

The MPLAD scheme, initiated in 1994, gives ₹5 crore per annum to an MP to spend it on development projects in his or her constituency. The scheme also allows MPs to contribute up to ₹1 crore in case the Centre attributes a calamity.