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The days of getting food at a concessional price in Indian parliament is over. From the next Budget session, the members of parliament (MP) will have to spend more for food as the practice of providing food to the law makers at a subsidised rate is now abolished. Beyond a doubt, it is a step towards the right direction as a poor country like India cannot afford to provide subsidised food to the privileged few. To be honest, it is a privilege that the people living below the poverty line (BPL) may ask for, but it is certainly not necessary for MPs, who get numerous benefits for serving the people. Thus, the demand for banning the said practice was being raised for quite some time. Initially, a section of our lawmakers opposed this move tooth and nail. But over the years, they also realised the futility of opposing the move as public opinion was strongly against them. Finally, they too had to fall in line.
As a matter of fact, our MPs are over burdened with privileges. From accommodation to air travel, the MPs get various facilities, which the regular public do not. This is why even now after nearly seven and a half decades of Independence, an invisible line exists in the capital between the politicians and the common people. While politicians live in big bungalows with manicured lawns and all modern facilities, the number of people without roofs over their head, is the maximum in Delhi. The MPs are also privileged to decide on their salaries and perks. A close look at the privileges that the people’ representatives enjoy in our country will certainly generate a feeling that we are still living in the colonial era.
It is a matter of pride for all the Northeasterners that the first person, who curtailed some of the benefits that our MPs were enjoying, was P. A. Sangma. He was the Speaker of Lok Sabha for a very short period from 1996 to 1998. But within this short span of time, he abolished the power of the MPs to recommend out of turn gas and telephone connection facilities. Mr. Sangma faced stiff opposition for withdrawing such privileges, but he never thought of reversing his decision. That was the beginning of when the people for the first time realised that the privileges were not the birth right of the representatives, rather it can be withdrawn at any moment. Following which, demands for withdrawing the privileges meant for the MPs began gaining ground and now it has completed a full circle with the withdrawal of subsidy on food.
But at the same time, we should not forget the parliament staffers, who come to the parliament every day to attend to their duties. As the parliament complex is vast and is a highly protected zone with various security restrictions, it is not easy for them to go out during the lunch time to have their food. Thus a proposal to provide them food at a subsidised rate should be considered sympathetically as they are not as privileged as the MPs.