Countering BJD MP Jay Panda’s letter to all his counterparts for giving up food subsidy in Parliament canteen, 12 MPs — cutting across party lines — on Wednesday asked him to set a “personal example” by first paying back thousands of crores of rupees worth tax subsidies and defaulted loans by his family-run corporate empire.
The letter signed by left and Congress MPs to Panda pointed out that one of his family-run companies — ICCl— got a waiver of `2,300crore in 2004 and another company IMFA figures in the top 20 bank defaulters in the country.
“We have received your letter asking us to give up subsidy for Parliament canteen and setting an example for the entire nation. We too agree with your suggestion subject to two conditions. Firstly, MPs should set an example not merely by giving up the food subsidy available in Parliament canteen but by giving up all indirect and illegal subsidies like loan waiver, tax concessions etc. As in the case of subsidised food in Parliament canteen we expect you to take initiative in this case too by setting a personal example. It is learnt that Indian Charge Chrome ltd (ICCl) is one of your family-run companies and it has got a wiaver/concession of around `2,300crore by IDBI,” said the MPs.
left MPs MB Rajesh, KN Balagopal, A Sampath, CP Narayanan, PK Biju, Ritabrata Banerjee and Congress MPs Mullapally Ramachandran, KC Venugopal, MI Shanavas are the signatories of the letter to the Panda, an industrialist. Joy Abraham and Jose K Mani (both Kerala Congress) and NK Premachandran (RSP) also signed on the petition. The letter said Panda’s family run company Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IFMA) tops the top 20 bank defaulter in the country as on the figures released March 2013.
“Secondly, even if we, the MPs give up any subsidies, food subsidies should be continued for around 8,000 beneficiaries working in the Parliament House including Secretariat staff, security personnel, mediapersons, under paid contract employees etc,” said the MPs, urging Panda to concentrate first on paying back the defaults by his family-run companies to PSU banks.