MPLAD ‘scamsters’ face Rajya Sabha probe

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today asked the Ethics Committee of the House to probe the sting operation showing members taki...

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today asked the Ethics Committee of the House to probe the sting operation showing members taking money allegedly for securing contracts under MPLAD Scheme.

Shekhawat said the expose in which two members of the Upper House had figured had lowered prestige and ‘‘certainly impacted the dignity’’ of the House. ‘‘We all have been extremely outraged by the incident and it has no doubt a matter of great concern’’.

Earlier he had referred that issue to the Ethics Committee too. Shekhwat said he hoped the matter would be probed in-depth by the panel which would give its recommendations as early as possible. Soon after he gave his ruling, several members, including S S Alhuwalia of the BJP, Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M), Murli manohar Joshi (BJP), N K Premachandran (RSP), Ramdeo Bhandary (RJD) and C Ramachandraiah (TDP) favoured scrapping of the MPLAD scheme.

Arguing for scrapping of the scheme allowing MPs to decide on Rs 2 crore to spend on their constituencies, Basu said an all-party meeting should be convened to discuss it. He told the House that Left parties had objected to the scheme since its inception. He said the scheme is contrary to the spirit of the Constitution as it imposes executive duties on the legislative. Former HRD Minister M M Joshi also argued that the scheme be scrapped and funds generated used for state funding of elections.