Parliament canteen subsidy ends as MPs unanimously agree to scrap it

All subsidy given on food to Parliamentarians in both the Houses has been ended immediately, said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday. The cost of the subsidy to the MPs in Parliament canteen was Rs 17 crore.

NEW DELHI: All subsidy given on food to Parliamentarians in both the Houses came to an end with immediate effect on Thursday (December 5, 2019), said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) attended by Members of Parliament (MPs) from different parties who unanimously agreed to end the subsidy on all food items at Parliament canteen.

The Lok Sabha Speaker stated that the decision was taken after consulting with all the parliamentarians. Now, the food items will be available at regular prices as prevalent in the market. 

Below is the rate list on which food items were sold before the subsidy was scrapped:

The cost of the subsidy to the MPs in Parliament canteen was Rs 17 crore. In the last Lok Sabha session, the prices of food items being sold at the Parliament canteen was increased to lower the burden on the Parliament House.

The Lower House of Parliament has a total of 545 MPs while the Upper House or the Rajya Sabha has a total of 245 MPs presently.