No more Rs 2 roti? MPs unanimously decide to do away with Parliament Canteen subsidy

Parliamentarians, in consensus have decided to do away with the subsidy that they benefit from at the Parliament canteen. According to sources, MPs took the unanimous decision after it was proposed by Speaker Om Birla. The food at the Parliament will be now sold at the regular market cost. 

As per Republic sources, the decision was taken in the meeting of Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee, wherein Parliamentarians from across parties agreed to let go of food subsidy at the canteen. It was further informed that this move could anually save Rs. 17 crore. As per a RTI response in December 2018, Parliament canteen serves roti at Rs. 2, dal at Rs. 5, rice at Rs. 7, chicken curry at Rs. 5.   

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In 2015, an RTI query revealed that the facilities of the Parliament canteen got a total subsidy of Rs. 50.7 crores from 2010-15.  On December 31, 2015, the Lok Sabha issued a statement: "After receiving the committee's report, the Speaker has taken a number of decisions, out of which the most important is that the canteen in Parliament will now work on 'no-profit, no-loss' basis. Accordingly, the rates of various food items have been increased and these would be sold at the actual cost of making."

Amid protests in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) over price hike last month, the Parliament menu of the subsidised rates began to do the rounds of social media. 

Here's what the MPs pay:

Apart from the Parliament canteen subsidies, the Lok Sabha on Thursday informed that the government has spent Rs 193 crore to renovate and repair bungalows of MPs in the last four years. In a written response to a question, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that there is no expenditure limit prescribed for such renovation and repair of residences of Members of Parliament by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

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"During the last three years and current year, an expenditure of Rs 193 crore has been incurred on renovation/repair of residences of Members of Parliament. Flat type-wise expenditure details are not maintained," the minister said. He said the extent of renovation required is based on the actual condition of building.

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(With PTI inputs)