TMC, DMK, YSR oppose MPLADS suspension

The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reverse its decision to suspend the MPs’ Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years and to utilize the fund allocated for the programme to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DMK and the YSR Congress Party too joined the TMC during a video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to oppose the suspension of the MPLADS.

Sudip Bandopadhyay, the leader of the TMC in the Lok Sabha, conveyed to the prime minister that he and other MPs of his party were ready to contribute their salaries fully to help the government to pool resources to deal with the pandemic and its social and economic impact.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the prime minister on Monday approved an ordinance to cut the salaries of the MPs by 30% for a year and utilize the fund to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. It also decided to temporarily suspend the MPLADS during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Bandopadhyay said that the MPs of his party were ready for even a 100% cut of their salaries, but the MPLADS should not be suspended. He pointed out that the MPLADS had given the MPs opportunity to develop their constituencies and help bring change in the lives of the common people.

T R Baalu, the leader of the DMK in the Lok Sabha, too urged the prime minister to withdraw the decision of suspending the MPLADS as it was only scheme available to the MPs to meet the demands of the people of their respective constituencies.

The YSR Congress Party’s MPs, Vijai Sai Reddy and Mithun Reddy represented their party in the video-conference with Modi. The party, which is in power in Andhra Pradesh, also demanded withdrawal of the decision to suspend the MPLADS.