Another Member Of Parliament Writes To PM Modi To Restart MP LADs Fund

Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliarnent, Rajya Sabha and Leader of CPI Parliamentary Party & Secretary, National Council, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to restart the MP LADS funds saying that the devastating impact of the pandemic since April 2021 has exposed the shortcomings in the Government’s
response as citizens have struggled to access healthcare services with many losing their lives due to the lack of essential medical supplies like oxygen and lifesaving medicines. At such times, people have turned to their elected representatives for help and assistance. In order to fulfill our responsibilities towards the people and
augment ongoing efforts by parliamentarians, it is imperative that the MP LADS fund be restarted immediately.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha had passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which seeks to cut salaries of MPs by 30%. The debate saw the entire Opposition uniting to ask for a concomitant restitution of the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund which the Centre froze for two financial years till 2022 as an austerity measure.The Congress, DMK, NCP, YSRCP, TRS, TDP, BJD and BSP have already sought restoration of the funding.

The exact content of the letter is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

Binoy Viswam,
Member of Parliarnent
(Rajya Sabha) 

To
Shri Narendra Modi,
Prime Minister,
Government of India,
New Delhi. 

Respected Shri Narendra Modi ji, 

I write this letter to urge you to restart the MP LADS funds available to all parliamentarians that were suspended last year on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, despite opposition from various MP’s, the Government assured them that the money would be used in India’s fight against Covid-19. Unfortunately, the devastating impact of the pandemic since April 2021 has exposed the shortcomings in the Government’s response as citizens have struggled to access healthcare services with many losing their lives due to the lack of essential medical supplies like oxygen and lifesaving medicines. At such times, people have turned to their elected representatives for help and assistance. In order to fulfill our responsibilities towards the people and augment ongoing efforts by parliamentarians, it is imperative that the MP LADS fund be restarted immediately. 

As the pandemic spreads rapidly and the pressure on the healthcare system mounts , the need for representatives to respond to local realities is of utmost importance. The MP LADS find was specifically set up to allow MP’s the right to utilize the fund for the development of their constituencies. In times of crisis, the fund is vital in allowing parliamentarians to help those in need and support the community in whatever way possible. With nearly 2.47 lakh people having lost their lives and over 2.27 crone cases in India, the need of the hour is to make available all avenues of help and assistance to the people of this country. The money that is being saved by the Central Government currently from the MP LADS funds can be recovered by the suspension of other Government projects such as the Central Vista project at a time when the country struggles to deal with the pandemic. It is unacceptable that the MP LADS fund is not being made available to Parliamentarians and the Central Government continues to dictate its usage. 

As representatives of the people, it is our responsibility and duty to ensure that we make all possible attempts to help during this crisis. The restarting of the MP LADS fund will help significantly in this endeavor. 

I, therefore, urge you to restart the MP LADS fund immediately. It may be directed that the fund be used solely towards combating the Covid- 19 pandemic while it persists. 

Yours sincerely 

Binoy Viswam,
Leader of CPI Parliamentary Party & Secretary, National Council 

Member, Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Member, Consultative Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change