Like the previous year, this time too, the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on Tuesday that the food subsidy made available to the MPs and others in the Parliament canteen has been completely done away with, which means that the MPs would have to buy food at the full rate. The information was provided by Om Birla while he was addressing media ahead of the forthcoming Budget session of the Parliament.
Food subsidy at Parliament canteen has been completely removed: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla pic.twitter.com/XB0NB5PbCb
— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2021
The Northern Railway runs canteens at Parliament House, Parliament House Annexe, Parliament House Reception and Parliament House Library Building. The food at canteens inside Parliament premises is provided at lower rates to MPs, officials and visitors.
Last year too, the Members of Parliament, by a consensus, had decided to do away with food subsidy at Parliament canteen. Then to the decision was taken after a suggestion from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
According to reports, Parliament canteen was subsidised to the extent of 80 per cent of its cost in 2015. With this decision, the Parliament secretariat was expected to save Rs 17 crores annually, reports had said. Last year, the Northern Railway had demanded Rs 16.43 crores from the Lok Sabha Secretariat as the cost for running four canteens in Parliament. The amount which Northern Railway claimed was towards subsidy and establishment cost.
Meanwhile, speaking about the time schedule of how Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will function in the upcoming session, Om Birla said: “Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Budget Session will commence from January 29. Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha will sit be from 4 pm to 9 pm. Zero Hour and Question Hour will be held. MPs have been requested to undergo an RT-PCR test.”
