Why MPs are getting so much Subsidies? End VVIP Culture : The Newshour Debate (23nd June 2015)

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• published: 24 Jun 2015
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In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Brijesh Kalappa, Spokesperson, Congress; Krishna Sagar Rao, Spokesperson, BJP; Arvind Sawant, Spokesperson & MP, Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena; Ali Anwar Ansari, Senior Leader & MP Rajya Sabha, JD (U); Dr V Raghunathan, Academician & Author; Bejon Misra, Consumer Policy Expert & Founder Consumer Online Foundation; Jitendra Bhargava, Former Executive Director, Air India and Ajoy Bose, Senior Journalist -- discuss the issue -- your money, their sumptuous feast. If this is not VVIP Racism, what is? Parliament canteens serving to Members of Parliament got a total subsidy of 60.7 crore during last five years with items like 'puri sabji' being sold at 88% subsidised rates, an RTI reply shows. The item list received under the Right to Information Act reveals that Parliamentarians, earning over 1.4 lakh with perks, are relishing items like 'fish fried with chips' at 25, mutton cutlet at 18, oiled vegetables at 5, mutton curry with bone at 20 and masala dosa at 6 with rates subsidised by 63%, 65%, 83%, 67% and 75% respectively. The cost for procuring raw items of dish like stew vegetables comes to about 41.25 while the MPs are getting it for 4 which is a subsidy of about 90%. For the non-veg meal raw items are procured at 99.05 while the prepared dish is served at 33 to MPs with 66% subsidy, the reply provided to RTI activist Subhash Agrawal shows, adding that the present rates of dishes have not been revised from December 20, 2010. 'Papad' costs ?1.98 but sold at ?1 in these canteens with a whopping subsidy of 98%. The RTI response shows that the canteens in Parliament serve 76 mouth watering dishes ranging from simple boiled egg to various mutton and chicken dishes which have been subsidised from over 150% to about 63%. The only item which is sold for a marginal profit is 'roti' for which raw items cost 77 paisa while sold at one, it said while 'khomani ka meetha' being served at market price of ?15 for piece of three, it says. The canteens which are being run by Norther Railway procure raw items from Government run agencies like Kendriya Bhandar, Mother Dairy and DMS etc. The reply shows that canteens received a subsidy of 10.4 crore, 11.7 crore, 11.9 crore, 12.5 crore and 14 crore during the years 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14 respectively which totals to around 60.7 crore. The funds for the canteens are taken from Budget Grant of Lok Sabha with Joint Committee on Food Management in Parliament House complex looking after day to day activities. Subscribe Now To Our Network Channels The NewsHour Debate : http://goo.gl/LfNgFF ET Now : http://goo.gl/5XreUq Times Now : http://goo.gl/U9ibPb To Stay Updated Download the Times Now App :- Android Google Play : https://goo.gl/zJhWjC Apple App Store : https://goo.gl/d7QBQZ Social Media Links :- Twitter - http://goo.gl/FzJIpz Facebook - http://goo.gl/CC7rGc G+ - http://goo.gl/O1iEp5 Also visit our website - http://goo.gl/XPUXe8