Rice is available at Rs 4 in the Parliament canteen. Along with Dosa, Rice plate; a discount on nonveg food items ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 200.
New Delhi| Parliament canteen, famous for the cheapest food in the country, is going to be expensive. The government has abolished the food subsidy it receives. Questions have often been raised about the low price of food available in this canteen. Following this decision of the government, now members of parliament, staff and outsiders will get food at normal rates.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday informed about the decision. He said that the subsidy in the canteen of Parliament has been completely removed. This will save Rs 17 crore every year. This was suggested by Om Birla during the winter session in 2019. After this, all the MPs had decided that they would not take benefits of any kind of subsidy in the canteen.
Rice is available in the canteen only for Rs 4!
Rice is available at Rs 4 in the Parliament canteen. Along with Dosa, Rice plate; a discount on nonveg food items ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 200. In 2017-18, it was found out through Right to Information how much subsidy is being given to the canteen. It was revealed that chicken curry in parliament canteen cost Rs 50 and veg plate Rs 35. A full lunch was offered for Rs 106. In South Indian food, plain dosa was available for just Rs. 12.
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It isn’t the first time that the issue was raised. Food prices were hiked in parliament canteen on January 1, 2016, following reports in the media in December 2015 about a hefty subsidy on food in the canteen. MPs as well as staff, security personnel, journalists and people who come to watch the proceedings of Parliament usually eat in the Parliament Canteen.
The demand was raised by a BJD MP in 2015
Reports in 2015 revealed that up to 80% of the cost of food in the canteen is subsidized. At that time, Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant Jai Panda had written a letter to the Speaker demanding an end to the subsidy. He had said that when the government is asking economically strong people to withdraw the LPG subsidy, the MPs should also withdraw the subsidy facility in the canteen.
The budget session will run till April 8
The Speaker also informed about the schedule of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The budget session will run from January 29 to April 8, he said. Rajya Sabha proceedings will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Lok Sabha will run from 4 pm to 9 pm.
On January 29, the President will address both houses. The budget will be presented on February 1. The House will meet between January 29 to February 15 and March 8 to April 8. There will be a 20-day break between February 15 and March 8. For the first time since the monsoon session ended in September, a session of Parliament is taking place. The government had cancelled the winter session due to Coronavirus threat.
The Speaker clarified that all the MPs have to undergo an RT-PCR test before joining the session. It will be mandatory for all.
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