Govt dishes out Rs 3.27 lakh per day as subsidyAmit Khajuria/TNS
TRIBUNE
Jammu, July 28The Parliament canteen could have been the birthplace of the notion, which some Congress leaders recently voiced, that a meal could be had for Rs 5 or Rs 12. A reply to an RTI application has revealed that the Centre doles out a subsidy of Rs 3.27 lakh per day to the Parliament canteen that provides sumptuous meals to parliamentarians. This amounts to Rs 11.94 crore per year.
So don’t feel transported back in time to the early 1990s when some MP tells you about having a ‘dosa’ for Rs 4. But this rate features on the menu of the Indian Parliament canteen that is run by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd.
On May 14, Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Sharma had written to Public Information Officer (PIO), Lok Sabha Secretariat, about the rate list of eatables and the subsidy given by the government to run the canteen.
In reply, K Sona, Under-Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat, vide letter No. 1(588)IC/13, dated: July 3, informed that the government paid Rs 11.94 crore in financial year 2011-12 as subsidy to the IRCTC to run the canteen where a parliamentarian gets ‘shami kabab’ for Rs 14, ‘rumali roti’ (‘chapati’) for Re 1, ‘dal fry’ for Rs 3 and pizza for Rs 20.
The rate list of the canteen has only been revised thrice in 13 years. In view of the rising prices of eatables in the outside world, the subsidy has been going up constantly. In 2000-01, the subsidy to the same canteen was Rs 2 crore. The last revision to the price list was done in December 2010.
“The government talks about pruning subsidy bills. It has also put a cap on domestic LPG. But why don’t they put a cap on their own canteen subsidy?” asks Raman Sharma.
“Every bite that a parliamentarian takes in that canteen reduces ‘chapatis’ on the plate of the poor in the country,” the RTI activist said. “If they can provide eatables to parliamentarians at this rate, then shouldn’t they also run such canteens at old age homes, orphanages, for BPL category persons and in schools and colleges?”
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Parliament Immune to rising InflationRising Kashmir
• No Price Hike in House Canteen Since 2010
• Nation bears loss of Rs. 3.5 lakh each day to provide luxurious meals to MPs
• Nation bears loss of Rs. 3.5 lakh each day to provide luxurious meals to MPs
Rising Kashmir News
Jammu, July 30: In an RTI reply furnished by the Parliament of India, Lok Sabha Secretariat, it has been informed that since 2010 there has been no price hike in the rates of food items served in the
Jammu, July 30: In an RTI reply furnished by the Parliament of India, Lok Sabha Secretariat, it has been informed that since 2010 there has been no price hike in the rates of food items served in the
parliament canteen and the last revision was made 3 years ago in the year 2010 . The reply also reveals that nation continues to bear a daily loss of Rs. 331826.00 to run Parliament canteen.
In a written reply to right to information application of RTI Activist Raman Sharma, the deputy secretary of the Lok Sabha vide his office communication no. 1(588)IC/13 dated 03/07/2013 has informed the applicant that the rates of food items served in the parliament canteen were revised thrice (2003,2009 & 2010) in last 13 years and the last revision was made on 14/Dec/2010.
While furnishing reply to the query of the applicant regarding profit/loss incurred for running this canteen, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has informed that the Northern railway is providing catering facilities in the parliament house on no profit and no loss basis and the losses if any are met from the budget allocation of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha secretariats on 2:1 ratio.
The applicant has also been provided the copy of menu/rate card of food items cooked there which tells that the luxurious food items including non vegetarian food is served at a very meagre price i.e Non Veg Meals @ Rs. 33, Roomali Roti @ Re. 1, Veg Sanwich @ Rs. 3, Prantha @ Rs. 3, Dal fried @ Rs. 4, Pizza @ Rs. 20, Kheer @ Rs. 8, Idli with Samber @ Rs. 3, Chicken Sandwich @ Rs. 6, Shammi Kabab @ Rs. 14 and Fish curry @ Rs. 20 only besides many more items at the almost negligible items.
The documents also disclose that during the financial year 2000-01 loss incurred for running the house canteen was Rs. 24665411.92 which has increased with each passing year and in the year 2011-12 the total loss or subsidy claim to run the canteen was Rs. 119457441.59.
While giving his response over the RTI reply, activist Raman Sharma has said that it is unfortunate that privileged people (MP’s) are enjoying the subsidies even on the canteen expenditures whereas when it comes to the question of welfare of common people, the ministers and planning commission strongly advocates and orchestrates for cutting subsidy bills.
He questioned how it is possible that while 130 million people of the country are facing the ruthless of rising inflation with each passing day and hour then why our Parliamentarians are enjoying Shami Kababs and Kheer.
Raman Sharma argued that as per right to equality law, the same facility as available to the MP’s in the house canteen should also be extended at least to the Orphan Home, Old Age Homes, Hospitals, Schools and College Canteens.
He has also appealed to all the MPs to think of the poor people of their constituencies who might have been deprived one time meal just to provide delicious meal in the Parliament canteen and the money should be utilized for the needy.
In a written reply to right to information application of RTI Activist Raman Sharma, the deputy secretary of the Lok Sabha vide his office communication no. 1(588)IC/13 dated 03/07/2013 has informed the applicant that the rates of food items served in the parliament canteen were revised thrice (2003,2009 & 2010) in last 13 years and the last revision was made on 14/Dec/2010.
While furnishing reply to the query of the applicant regarding profit/loss incurred for running this canteen, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has informed that the Northern railway is providing catering facilities in the parliament house on no profit and no loss basis and the losses if any are met from the budget allocation of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha secretariats on 2:1 ratio.
The applicant has also been provided the copy of menu/rate card of food items cooked there which tells that the luxurious food items including non vegetarian food is served at a very meagre price i.e Non Veg Meals @ Rs. 33, Roomali Roti @ Re. 1, Veg Sanwich @ Rs. 3, Prantha @ Rs. 3, Dal fried @ Rs. 4, Pizza @ Rs. 20, Kheer @ Rs. 8, Idli with Samber @ Rs. 3, Chicken Sandwich @ Rs. 6, Shammi Kabab @ Rs. 14 and Fish curry @ Rs. 20 only besides many more items at the almost negligible items.
The documents also disclose that during the financial year 2000-01 loss incurred for running the house canteen was Rs. 24665411.92 which has increased with each passing year and in the year 2011-12 the total loss or subsidy claim to run the canteen was Rs. 119457441.59.
While giving his response over the RTI reply, activist Raman Sharma has said that it is unfortunate that privileged people (MP’s) are enjoying the subsidies even on the canteen expenditures whereas when it comes to the question of welfare of common people, the ministers and planning commission strongly advocates and orchestrates for cutting subsidy bills.
He questioned how it is possible that while 130 million people of the country are facing the ruthless of rising inflation with each passing day and hour then why our Parliamentarians are enjoying Shami Kababs and Kheer.
Raman Sharma argued that as per right to equality law, the same facility as available to the MP’s in the house canteen should also be extended at least to the Orphan Home, Old Age Homes, Hospitals, Schools and College Canteens.
He has also appealed to all the MPs to think of the poor people of their constituencies who might have been deprived one time meal just to provide delicious meal in the Parliament canteen and the money should be utilized for the needy.
http://www.risingkashmir.in/news/parliament-immune-to-rising-inflation-52422.aspx
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सांसदों को महंगाई में भी सस्ता भोजन
Wed, 31 Jul 2013, Dainik Jagran
जागरण ब्यूरो, जम्मू : ये नेता हैं। इनके लिए हर सुविधा है। जनता भले ही महंगाई की मार झेल रही है, लेकिन सफेदपोश मौज कर रहे हैं। इसका अंदाजा इससे लगाया जा सकता है कि पिछले तीन साल में महंगाई ने जनता के पसीने छुड़ा दिए, लेकिन नहीं बढ़ा तो संसद कैंटीन में खाने-पीने का दाम। तीन साल पहले की कीमत पर आज भी वहां भोजन मिल रहा है। इससे सरकार को रोज 3,31,826 रुपये का चूना लग रहा है। यह हकीकत सूचना का अधिकार के तहत मांगी गई जानकारी से सामने आई है।
वर्ष 2010 के बाद से संसद कैंटीन में खाने पीने की वस्तुओं के दाम में कोई बढ़ोतरी नहीं हुई है। आरटीआइ कार्यकर्ता रमन शर्मा ने आरटीआइ दायर की थी। इसका जवाब लोकसभा के उपसचिव ने देते हुए कहा कि पिछले 13 साल में तीन बार 2003, 2009 और 2010 में संसद कैंटीन में खाने-पीने की वस्तुओं के दाम बढ़े हैं। अंतिम बार 14 दिसंबर, 2010 को दाम बढ़ाए गए थे। रमन शर्मा ने याचिका में यह जानकारी भी मांगी थी कि कैंटीन में लाभ या नुकसान हो रहा है। जवाब में बताया गया कि उत्तरी रेलवे बिना लाभ या नुकसान के संसद कैंटीन में वस्तुएं उपलब्ध करवा रहा है। अगर कोई नुकसान होता है तो उसकी भरपाई लोकसभा और राज्यसभा के उपलब्ध बजट से 2:1 के हिस्से के हिसाब से की जाती है। प्राप्त जानकारी के अनुसार नॉन वेज मील 33 रुपये, रुमाली रोटी 1 रुपये, वेज सैंडविज 3 रुपये, परांठा 3 रुपये, दाल फ्राई 4 रुपये, पीजा 20 रुपये, खीर 8 रुपये, सांबर के साथ इडली 3 रुपये, चिकन सैंडविज 6 रुपये, शमी कबाब 14 रुपये, फिश करी 20 रुपये में उपलब्ध करवाई जाती हैं। वर्ष 2000-01 के दौरान हाउस कैंटीन का नुकसान 24665411.92 रुपये था, जो हर वर्ष बढ़ता ही जा रहा है।
वहीं, आरटीआइ कार्यकर्ता रमन शर्मा का कहना है कि सांसद तो सब्सिडी पर खाना खा रहे हैं, लेकिन आम जनता महंगाई में पिस रही है। यह बड़े अफसोस की बात है कि माननीय तो कम दामों पर खाने-पीने की वस्तुओं का आनंद ले रहे हैं और 130 मिलियन की आबादी वाले देश के लोग महंगाई में पिस रहे हैं।
http://www.jagran.com/jammu-and-kashmir/jammu-10609515.html
Dainik Jagran,
As govt cuts corners, politicians revel in subsidies
Millennium Post
2 August 2013, Srinagar, Moazum Mohammad
Parliament House canteen sells food at dirt cheap prices, even as aam aadmi is crushed by price rise.
Even as the UPA government steps up its task to shore up growth by cutting subsidies to fix the deficit, the Parliament House canteen in national Capital continues to serve subsidised food to the political class. The losses or subsidy endured by the State exchequer has jumped to over Rs 11 crore in the year 2011-2012 alone.
While aam aadmi remains overburdened with frequent price rise coupled with inflation, the Joint Parliamentary Committee hasn’t revised food prices in the canteen for about three years now. ‘The rate of items served in Parliament canteens were revised in 2003, 2009 and 2010,’ read a document issued out of Lok Sabha Secretariat in response to Right to Information Act request filed by Raman Sharma of Jammu. Since 2010, however, there has been no price rise as far as the Parliament canteens are concerned.
‘The northern railway is providing catering facility in parliament house on no profit no loss basis. The losses incurred, if any, are met from budget allocation (of) the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats in ratio (n) 2:1 (sic), it said.
The yearly financial details provide an insight into the losses mounting with each year apparently to serve food to lawmakers at dirt cheap rates. To begin with, the year 2000-01 reported loss or subsidy claim of Rs 2 crore just to operate the canteen. Consequently, the losses mounted in the successive years doubled, with the year 2006-07 recording a loss of Rs 4 crore. Two-years later, in 2009-10, the documents reveal that the losses jumped through the roof, to the tune of Rs 10 crore, and subsequently, breaching the Rs11-crore-mark in the following year.
Considering the enormous loss, a rough arithmetic indicates that the exchequer had to suffer a beating of Rs 90 lakh per month, which, upon further calibration, meant a loss of Rs 3.5 lakh per day. Further, as the response to the RTI query spelled out, the staffs of both the houses, as well as media officials and guests of parliamentarians are also entitled to avail the canteen’s implausibly subsidised catering services.
Evidently, this lends a clear impression about the losses incurred against food products at Parliament, the highest office of democracy. A comparative analysis of rates mentioned in its menu card indicates the food products at the canteen are sold for peanuts, at rates considerably lower than regular market prices.
For example, a chicken sandwich is sold at Rs 6. ‘This disparity indicates that there are two laws: one for the political class and the other for the electorate. On one hand, fuel subsidies are scrapped and the resultant burden is conveniently put on ordinary people, while Parliament canteen serves subsidised food to ruling class. This is completely against the democratic norms,’ said Raman Sharma, who had filed the RTI.
Daily loss to Parliament canteen:Rs. 3,31,826
Asian Age
The government bears a daily loss of `3,31,826 to run the Parliament canteen as there has been no price hike of the food served since 2010.
In an RTI reply furnished to J&K-based activist Raman Sharma by the LS Secretariat, it has been informed that the last revision of the rates of food items served in the Parliament canteen was made three years ago. The deputy secretary of the LS vide his office communication no. 1(588)IC/13 dated 03/07/2013 also informs the applicant that the rates of food items served in the Parliament canteen were revised thrice (2003, 2009 and 2010) in last 13 years and the last revision was made on December 14, 2010.
While furnishing reply to the query of the applicant regarding profit and or loss incurred for running this canteen, the official informs that the Northern Railway is providing catering facilities in the Parliament house on no profit and no loss basis and the losses if any are met from the budget allocation of the LS and the Rajya Sabha secretariats on 2:1 ratio. The applicant has also been provided the copy of menu/rate card of food items cooked there which tells that the luxurious food items including non vegetarian food is served at a very meagre price i.e non-veg meals @ `33, roomali roti @ `1, veg sandwich @ `3, prantha @ `3, dal fried @`4, pizza @ `20, kheer @ `8, idli with sambar @ `3, chicken sandwich @ `6, shammi kabab @ `14 and fish curry @ `20 only besides many more items at the almost negligible items. The documents also disclose that during the financial year 2000-01 loss incurred for running the house canteen was `2,46,65,411.92 which has increased with each passing year and in the year 2011-12 the total loss or subsidy claim to run the canteen was `11,94,57,441.59.
While furnishing reply to the query of the applicant regarding profit and or loss incurred for running this canteen, the official informs that the Northern Railway is providing catering facilities in the Parliament house on no profit and no loss basis and the losses if any are met from the budget allocation of the LS and the Rajya Sabha secretariats on 2:1 ratio. The applicant has also been provided the copy of menu/rate card of food items cooked there which tells that the luxurious food items including non vegetarian food is served at a very meagre price i.e non-veg meals @ `33, roomali roti @ `1, veg sandwich @ `3, prantha @ `3, dal fried @`4, pizza @ `20, kheer @ `8, idli with sambar @ `3, chicken sandwich @ `6, shammi kabab @ `14 and fish curry @ `20 only besides many more items at the almost negligible items. The documents also disclose that during the financial year 2000-01 loss incurred for running the house canteen was `2,46,65,411.92 which has increased with each passing year and in the year 2011-12 the total loss or subsidy claim to run the canteen was `11,94,57,441.59.
Profit and Loss Account to run the Parliament Canteen...
