If no work, no pay for MPs: Somnath Chatterjee

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today in Parliament that "if there is no work, there should be no pay for MPs"

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today in Parliament that "if there is no work, there should be no pay for MPs", as the Opposition members created an uproar in the Lower House demanding Union Shipping and Road Transport Minister T R Baalu's resignation.

Restraining the MPs after he was forced to adjourn the House, Chatterjee asked, "If there is no work, there should be no pay. Are the MPs being paid Rs 1,000 daily for this."
  The same situation was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha too, where the Opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and All India Anna Dramuk Khazagam (AIADMK) members staged a walkout after their demand for suspension of the Question Hour to take up the issue of alleged misuse of office by Baalu was disallowed.  

BJP leader Jaswant Singh said: "A member promoting the interests of any entity linked to him is a clear conflict of interest. The Prime Minister and Petroleum Minister are also answerable. We want to know if the PM thinks like Baalu and sees no wrong in this," and added that Deora has not replied to eight letters asking for clarification.
Demanding an explanation from the Prime Minister, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani said: "I would like to urge the Prime Minister to make a statement in both Houses of Parliament as to what he has to say about it. The facts are not in dispute at all. The Cabinet Minister has admitted having approached the PMO to seek favour for his son or sons."

Recently, Baalu had admitted of taking favours for a family-owned firm and told the Rajya Sabha, that there was nothing wrong in requesting the Petroleum Minister to provide gas to the company, in which he had held the post of Managing Director and now his sons and their wives are associated with the firm. (ANI)

Add to: del.icio.us Digg Technorati