New Delhi:
Politicians cutting across party lines may have slammed the Planning Commission for its latest figures on the poverty line but many of their ilk think that it is time they looked within.
At least this is what AIADMK leader M Thambidurai did when he drew the attention of parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to the subsidies provided for lawmakers in the Parliament canteen.
"It's a shame that while people are starving, MPs have subsidies for food," Mr Thambidurai said.
It was an apt moment for introspection. The Lok Sabha, at the time, was having a special discussion on poverty line with most MPs fiercely criticising the Planning Commission for pegging it at Rs 28 per day.
But, there are others who have tried to look beyond the usual politics over policy and share Mr Thambidurai's apprehension. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javadekar has already written a letter seeking an end to the subsidy bill, costing Rs 12 crore per annum, that the Lok Sabha pays to the Northern Railways canteen.
CPI leader D Raja, also an MP from the Rajya Sabha, has pointed out the negative image that these reports have created about MPs, especially at a time when the aam aadmi is groaning under the weight of inflation.
These observations and concerns have now resulted in a panel comprising MPs that will look into the food consumption from these subsidised canteens, which provide meals within 50 rupees. After studying the pattern of consumption, which includes that of the Parliament staff too, the panel will take a final call.
Even though several MPs want the subsidy to go, this noble idea might take long before it finally becomes a reality.