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No subsidy in Parliament canteen from today

by IBNS 01 Jan 2016, 08:34 am

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IBNS) Ending a decades-old provision that invited public anger, the Parliament canteen stops selling food at subsidised prices from the first day of 2016.

Reports said from Friday, food will be sold at no-profit, no-loss. The subsidy bill last stood at Rs. 16 crore annually.

According to the new menu, a vegetarian thali which earlier cost Rs. 18 will now be sold for Rs.30 and a non-vegetarian thali will cost Rs. 60 instead of Rs. 33 earlier.

A three-course meal will cost Rs. 90 instead of Rs. 61 earlier and chicken curry, which earlier cost Rs. 29, will be sold for Rs. 40.

The rates have been hiked as there have been frequent controversies over subsidised food being served in Parliament. 

"The Speaker (Sumitra Mahajan) has taken a number of decisions, out of which the most important is that the canteen in Parliament will now work on 'no-profit, no-loss' basis," the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the rates of various food items have been increased and these would be sold at the actual cost of making. This will be effective from tomorrow," the statement said.

"This rate hike will apply to Members of Parliament, officials of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, media persons, security personnel as well as visitors," the statement said.