Doing the Rounds: An Online Petition that Could End Canteen Subsidy for MPs

An online petition signed by 78,000 people has appealed to parliamentarians to end the canteen subsidy. The petition started two weeks ago has urged chairman of Food Management in  Parliament House Complex committee A P Jithender Reddy to scrap the subsidy.(Only MPs Don't Eat in Parliament Canteen, Says Speaker)"If the common man can be asked to give up LPG subsidy, then why can't MPs be asked to give up their subsidy," the petition hosted on 'change.org' said. A press statement issued on behalf of the petitioners said, BJD MP Jay Panda has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding to end the subsidy.(Say No to Food Subsidy Appeals a BJD MP to His Fellowmen)Mahajan had on Monday said that the issue of subsidy and quality of food and service are being addressed through a dialogue with all the stakeholders, including Parliament's Canteen Committee as also the Press Gallery Committee. Noting that besides the MPs, the canteen is being utilised by journalists, Parliament staff of all levels, security personnel and guests, she said, an individual alone cannot take a call on the issues involved.