Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader and Lok Sabha MP Thol. Thirumavalavan has opposed the Centre’s ordinance reducing the salary of MPs by 30% and suspending MPLADS funds for two years to fight COVID-19.
In a statement late on Monday, Mr. Thirumavalavan said that the Centre has unilaterally decided to undertake these measures without seeking any feedback from the MPs.
“It would have been acceptable if MPs were told to give away one or two months of their salaries towards fighting COVID-19. The Centre also has suspended the MPLADS MP fund which is used to develop the constituency. It would have been acceptable if we were asked to spend the funds for COVID-19 related issues but to suspend it completely is unacceptable,” he said.
Mr.Thirumavalavan added that many members of parliament in Tamil Nadu had allocated funds in their constituency to hospitals to buy essential medical equipment and the decision has cast uncertainty over these allocations.
“If these funds go to a consolidated fund, there is no way to know where the Centre is using these funds. The ordinance should be withdrawn,” he said.