Naidu asks MPS to shun populism, guide people on development needs

NEW DELHI: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that development should reach the people without any delays, dilution or diversions, as he appealed to MPS to “shun populism” and “guide the people on their developmental needs”.

Naidu was addressing an event for the release of Dr KN Bhandari’s book, Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan, which gives a detailed account of all the initiatives in the health and education sectors taken by the Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi through the MPLAD scheme in Rajasthan over 12 years from 2006 to 2018.

The foreword to the book has been written by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh.

During the event, Singhvi said, “MPLAD funds are intended for public good and driven by narrow considerations by partisan politics. The book is an account of just under 400 projects I undertook in five arid districts of Rajasthan.”

Singhvi said that he focused on education and health as two of the most-needed ameliorations in that region, adding that he was surprised to find no dialysis machines in any government hospitals in the western districts, except in Jodhpur. Singhvi spent his MPLAD fund to give dialysis machine to all these districts.

Some roads in these districts were highly accident prone and it was “very satisfying” to provide mobile ambulance services, the West Bengal MP said.

He also expressed gratitude to Union minister Piyush Goyal for allowing installation of benches at railway stations through MPLAD funds.

The vice president also urged parliamentarians to use the MPLADS funds for Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna to develop villages as model villages.

The virtual event was also attended by Harivansh, leader of Rajya Sabha Thawar Chand Gehlot, leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool floor leader Derek O’brien and BJD MP Sasmit Patra.