Thread by @Dayanidhi_Maran

THREAD ON CENTRE'S MOVE TO REDIRECT #MPLADS FUNDS

All MPs have welcomed centre's decision to cut salaries & use it for #Covid_19india relief measures but what stuns us is the arbitrary idea to redirect #MPLADS funds for the next 2 years as well towards the centre's fund of choice. #corona

#DMK party president Thiru MK Stalin had directed MPs & MLAs to contribute our salaries towards #corona relief measures even before the central govt asked for it. MPs & MLAs have also contributed substantial portions of their local area funds for their respective constituencies.

We are more than happy to give up our salaries for a relief fund, but we cannot simply sign off our constituency funds. There is no guarantee that the funds from a specific constituency will come back to help that constituency's people in need. #MPLADS

As an #MP, I am answerable & responsible for my constituency & making sure it has the resources it needs. The #MPLADS is the only source of funds available for MPs to help public hospitals in their constituency. It's a federal structure to guarantee funds for local development.

Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital, KMC,Stanley, Omandurar Multi Speciality, Royapettah GH, Chetpet TB hospital, ESI Ayanavaram & many more in my constituency may need #MPLADS fund in case of emergency infrastructure requirement. Can Centre assure they'll get what they need everytime?

If the Centre is in such desperate need of funds that the 5 crores allotted to every constituency's #MPLADS is redirected for 2 years (total 7900 crores), why not drop vanity projects that cost much more like the new #PM residence, #CentralVista projects (20,000 crores)?

I support the move to contribute salaries of MPs to central fund for #Corona relief but I'm against #MPLADS being redirected as it belongs to the people of my constituency. That money should rightly be spent on each constituency by the elected MP not by the centre as it sees fit.

We've already seen & are witnessing the stepmotherly treatment of southern states by Centre when it comes to fund allocations- be it #CoronaRelief, #GST, 15th Finance Commission, Infrastructure, Language or even disaster relief. Can't trust Centre to take care of states everytime

We support the Centre in its efforts against #Corona, but we can't allow any & every decision they make without debate. That will be detrimental to democracy & set a bad precedent. We have already seen the govt slip on important measures like lockdown planning & relief delivery.

I sincerely hope the Centre revokes decision on #MPLADS & does justice for every constituency's needs & every #MP's right to decide how & where to spend their allotted funds for the benefit of that constituency. Centre can't micro-manage everything in a democracy as big as India.

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