Several MPs donate Rs 1 crore from MPLAD fund to fight COVID-19 after Speaker's appeal

A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to MPs to send consent letters for contributing Rs 1 crore or more from their MPLAD funds to efforts to fight COVID-19, 35 parliamentarians have already done so, sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Sunday.

New Delhi [India], Mar 30 : A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to MPs to send consent letters for contributing Rs 1 crore or more from their MPLAD funds to efforts to fight COVID-19, 35 parliamentarians have already done so, sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Sunday.

Among those who have pledged their support are leaders of various parties including Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

An official release said that those who have sent emails concerning consent letters for Rs 1 crore include Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Gen VK Singh, MPs Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ramesh Bidhuri, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Diya Kumari, Meenakshi Lekhi, Prince Raj, Preneet Kaur, A Raja, Sumalatha Ambareesh and Gopal Shetty.

The government enforced a countrywide lockdown on midnight of Tuesday last to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Speaker had on Saturday urged the MPs to forward consent letters to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation towards utilising a sum of Rs 1 crore or more from their MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) funds and supplement government's efforts to fight the global pandemic.

The Speaker thanked the MPs for their gesture. He expressed confidence that the country will win the battle against coronavirus.

( With inputs from ANI )