By IANS,
New Delhi : Dues amounting to nearly Rs.12 million are pending against 10 sitting and former members of the Lok Sabha, a Right to Information (RTI) applicant has found out.
“There are dues outstanding from some former and existing members of Lok Sabha,” the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in its reply to RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, who had sought information on dues owed to government departments, agencies, and companies by former and sitting parliamentarians.
He had also asked about the steps taken to recover dues, including those taken after concern expressed by Delhi High Court over the issue.
In its reply, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said as per the instructions of Delhi High Court, “steps have been taken to recover outstanding dues to NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) and MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) from concerned MPs by way of deducting equitable amount from their salary.”
Of the total amount, nearly Rs.8 million are pending against the late A.B.A Ghani Khan Choudhary. However, recovery was stopped after his death.
Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh Chinta Mohan owes a total of Rs.1.27 million to the NDMC and MTNL, while Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda owes an amount of Rs.364,237 to NDMC. However, recovery from Hooda was stopped when he ceased to be an MP and became chief minister.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren owes nearly Rs.650,000 but the recovery was stopped once he resigned from the 14th Lok Sabha. However, as per the Lok Sabha records, Soren is a sitting MP from Jharkhand in the 15th Lok Sabha.
Rasheed Masood, a former MP from Uttar Pradesh, has nearly Rs.850,00 against his name. In his case also, recovery was made until the 14th Lok Sabha was dissolved.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat also admitted that there was no provision under the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to stop payment of salary or pensions of sitting or former parliamentarians defaulting such government dues.
“The rules should be amended to provide deduction of such dues owed by former parliamentarians from the pensions they receive. Till dues of all government agencies are cleared, no politician should be allowed to fight any elections and they should not be given any constitutional posts,” Agrawal told IANS.