New Delhi: Instead of suspending the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) scheme, the Centre should scrap the Central Vista plan and transfer all funds from electoral bonds to tackle the coronavirus crisis, the CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Monday.
Sitaram Yechury pointed out that by suspending the MPLAD scheme, the government has taken away expenditure which would have addressed the unique requirements of an area.
“This government has been fudging data & had pushed economy steeply downhill even before #COVID-19. Transfer of money to Consolidated Fund of India (CFI), instead of being directed towards fighting COVID-19, shows that it is a measure to deal with the economic destruction caused in last six years,” CPI(M) leader Yechury said in a tweet.
See link: https://twitter.com/SitaramYechury/status/1247132312711520256
“There is enough evidence that #COVID19 is best fought at the state and local level. By suspending MPLADs, the government is taking away expenditure which would have attended to unique requirements of an area. This centralisation goes against federalism, development, will weaken our fight,” asserted the CPI(M) leader.
See link:
https://twitter.com/SitaramYechury/status/1247133340706025472
The government Monday decided to suspend MPLADs for two years and transfer the money into the government’s consolidated fund (CFI). The money under MPLADs is around Rs 7900 crore for two years: 2020-21 and 2021-22
Yechury accused the government of wasting public money on statues and ‘extravagant personal publicity campaigns and events’.
“It neglected healthcare over past 6 years. Coupled with its economic mismanagement, this has led us to this massive crisis where the government is adopting such measures,” said Yechury.
“If there’s no money with the government, why doesn’t it abandon the Central Vista project in Delhi? Does it deserve a higher priority than lives of lakhs of Indians? BJP has abundant funds from opaque electoral bonds, why isn’t it transferring it all to the government during this crisis?” Yechury asked.
PTI