Tamil Nadu MP and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Thol. Thirumavalavan has opposed and criticized the Union Cabinet's approval of the ordinance to suspend the MP Fund and reduce the salary of the MPs in a bid to strengthen the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

In his statement, Thirumavalan has called the ordinance of cutting the salaries as unilaterally decided by the government without taking stock and feedback from the MPs and said that such a decision creates the doubt that the country is moving towards an 'Economic Emergency'. He stated that it would have been acceptable if the MPs are advised to provide their one or two months salary as an aid relief for fighting the global pandemic.

30% slashing of MPs salaries!
Suspension of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (#MPLADS)Funds for 2 years!
Repeal the Central Government Ordinance:
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi#Thol_Thirumaavalavan_MP@PMOIndia @PrakashJavdekar @CMOTamilNadu @mkstalin pic.twitter.com/GR3pPkVXNQ

— thirumaofficial (@thirumaofficial) April 6, 2020

Instead of taking the opinions of the MPs, the Central government has decided to slash the salaries, he added. The leader and Lok Sabha MP of Chidambaram said that the Center has also suspended the MPLADS Fund that would be utilized for the development of the constituency. The suspension of the fund for the two years is unacceptable rather the government could have asked the members to spend the fund for the measures to contain the spread of the virus in the constituencies.

He further stated that many MPs from Tamil Nadu had allocated the funds to the hospitals in their respective constituencies towards procuring essential medical equipment and the suspension of the fund has caused uncertainty to the hospitals. By claiming that there is no way to know where the Center is utilizing the funds if the funds are diverted to the consolidated fund, Thirumavalavan demanded the government to withdraw the ordinance passed. He described the decision as not only undemocratic, it also enacts a fraud and deception on the people of the constituency.

On Monday, Union cabinet has approved the ordinance to amend the reduction of salary, allowances, and pensions of Members of Parliament Act and with this amendment, the allowances and pensions for the MPs would be reduced by 30% for one year with effect from April 1st, 2020. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the President, Vice President, Governors of the states have come forward and voluntarily decided for the cost cut as a social responsibility. The money from the cost cut would directly go to the Consolidated Fund of India.

He further stated that the Cabinet has approved temporary suspension of MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) Fund of MPs during 2020-21 and 2021-22 to tighten the government's measures towards dealing the adverse impact of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country and through the temporary suspension for two years, the Consolidated Fund of India would be banked with Rs 7900 crores.