Members of Parliament (MPs): India
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1990-2015: expenditure on transit accommodation
Mar 26 2015
Since 1990, govt has spent Rs 55 crore on MPs' transit stay
The government has spent about Rs 35.75 crore on transit accommodation of MPs between 1990-91 and 201314. Sources said the outstanding bill from ITDC-run hotels and state guest houses would be another Rs 20-25 crore. With the outstanding amount piling up year after year, the Lok Sabha secretariat has issued an ultimatum to first-time MPs staying at Hotel Ashok to move to their official accommodation or foot the bill themselves. About 50 MPs are staying at the hotel, which charges Rs 9,000 per day only for the stay and buffet breakfast. The other two ITDC hotels that provide transit accommodation to MPs are Hotel Janpath and Hotel Samrat.
In a Right To Information response to Delhi resident Ved Pal, the urban development ministry has said, “No separate data of expenditure on transit accommodation after even general election is maintained.“ However, it maintains that the details of expenditure incurred during each financial year and the yearwise details were shared in the RTI reply.
“While the bill on account of such transit accommodation is raised within a year of any general election, we release the payment when we have the budget. So, the outstanding amount is increasing,“ said a government official.
Cash-for-votes scandals by MPs
Amar Singh
The Times of India, Sep 7, 2011
July 8, 2008 | CPM withdraws support to UPA govt over India-US nuclear deal
Jul 22 | BJP MPs Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora display cash in Lok Sabha, allege they were bribed to vote for UPA. Govt wins trust vote 275-256
July 30 | Parliamentary panel set up to probe scandal
Dec 15 | Panel gives clean chit to Amar Singh, Ahmad Patel. Calls for probe into role of alleged Amar aide Sanjeev Saxena, “middleman” Sohail Hindustani and ex-Advani aide Sudheendra Kulkarni
Jan 2009 | Police begin probe
March 17, 2011
Cables on WikiLeaks allege Cong leader Satish Sharma’s aide boasted of Rs 50cr fund “to purchase support of MPs”
July 15 | SC slams Delhi Police’s “callous approach” to probe
July 17-20 | Sanjeev Saxena, Sohail Hindustani arrested
Aug 24 | Amar Singh, 5 others chargesheeted
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
10am | Bhagora and Kulaste appear in court. Amar Singh seeks exemption from personal appearance on health grounds
10.30am | Delhi police oppose his plea. Court asks for medical records
12.30am | Amar Singh makes surprise appearance, cites kidney transplant, other ailments
3.30pm | Court sends Amar Singh, Bhagora and Kulaste to judicial custody. Puts off Amar’s interim bail plea to Sept 8
5pm | Amar taken to Tihar jail in special van
Youth in parliament
The Times of India, Jun 05 2015
Only 1 in 4 MPs in India is below the age of 45
Kounteya Sinha
The world is getting younger but the world's parliamentarians, elected to govern are getting older. The median age of the global population is around 26.4 years and among the voting age population worldwide, 49% are between the ages of 20 and 39, But the average age of those sitting in the world's parliaments is now between 51-60 years. A 20-year-old Scottish student made history in May 7 general elections in UK by becoming Britain's youngest MP since 1667. Only 2.2% of MPs in India are below the age of 30. Only 1 in 4 Indian MPs (22%) in India are below the age of 45. Less than 1.7% of MPs worldwide are under 30. India is ranked 19th among 98 countries when it comes to having MPs below age of 30.
Zeina Hilal, Inter Parliamentary Union's officer in charge on youth participation told TOI “Reducing voting age can really help and encourage youngsters to take a keen interest in politics. Also, aligning voting age with the age to be eligible to stand for elections can also be a game changer. At pre sent in India, people can vote when they are 18 years but can stand for elections only when they are 25. We want India to make both the voting age and age eligible to stand for elections at 18“.
