Lok Sabha told MPs to vacate by March, Govt scraps this order

The Lok Sabha secretariat in a letter to all outgoing Lok Sabha MPs on February 4, had said that MPs who wanted to retain government houses in the capital beyond March 6 would have to pay market rent for these houses. In fact the letter stated that even the salary payable to ex-MPs would be cleared only after these ex-MPs get a ‘No Demand Certificate’ from Directorate of Estates which allots them houses in the capital, the telephone department, Parliament Library, Computer Centre and even Indian Airlines for any pending unpaid bills.

Opening its purse-strings further, the government has decided to earmark Rs 100 crore for MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Sceme) funds for ex-MPs from the 11th and 12th Lok Sabha who were unable to draw funds during their tenure because some of their projects were awaiting clearance.

By the time these schemes and projects were approved, the Lok Sabha was dissolved and hence they were unable to spend the Rs 2 crore allocated to each MP every year for developmental work in their constituencies. This Rs 100 crore one-time allocation is in addition to Rs 1,580 crore provided for all MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha every year.

The beneficiaries of this one-time gesture will be 77 ex-MPs including three from Andhra Pradesh, five from Orissa, three from Rajasthan, three from Madhya Pradesh, and four from Karnataka among others.