New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) CPI MP Binoy Viswam on Thursday urged the government to restart the MPLADS fund, which was discontinued last year, so that elected representatives can use the money in their constituencies for COVID-related care.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Viswam said the MPLADS fund was stopped last year so that the money could be used to fight the pandemic, but with the shortcomings of the government now exposed, the fund should be restarted.

The CPI MP said the money that is being saved by the government currently from the MPLADS funds can be "recovered by the suspension of other projects such as the Central Vista project at a time when the country is struggling to deal with the pandemic".

"Unfortunately, the devastating impact of the pandemic since April 2021 has exposed the shortcomings in the government's response as citizens have struggled to access healthcare services with many losing their lives due to the lack of essential medical supplies like oxygen and lifesaving medicines,” he said.

"At such times, people have turned to their elected representatives for help and assistance. In order to fulfill our responsibilities towards the people and augment ongoing efforts by parliamentarians, it is imperative that the MPLADS fund be restarted immediately," Viswam said.

All opposition parties have been unanimous in their criticism of the government's recent move to suspend the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years, approved by the Cabinet.

The government's reason is this: to use these funds "to strengthen the government's efforts in managing the challenges and adverse impact of COVID-19 in the country".

Viswam also said that the MPLADS fund was specifically set up to allow MPs the right to utilise the fund for the development of their constituencies and in times of crisis, the fund is vital in allowing parliamentarians to help those in need and support the community in whatever way possible.

"With nearly 2.47 lakh people having lost their lives and over 2.27 crore cases in India, the need of the hour is to make available all avenues of help and assistance to the people of this country. The money that is being saved by the central government currently from the MPLADS fund can be recovered by the suspension of other government projects such as the Central Vista project at a time when the country struggles to deal with the pandemic," the CPI MP said.

"It is unacceptable that the MPLADS fund is not being made available to parliamentarians and the central government continues to dictate its usage," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)