Cutting Food Subsidy In Parliament Canteen To Result In Annual Saving Of Rs 9 Crore: Lok Sabha Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said that cutting subsidies on food in the Union Parliament will result in an expenditure reduction of around Rs nine crore on an annual basis.

Earlier, subsidies of more than 80 per cent meant that dishes such as a plate of mutton cutlet, mutton curry and masala dosa used to be priced at Rs 18, Rs 20 and a meagre Rs six, respectively.

However, the subsidy on food was slashed in January this year. Moreover, Birla even changed the caterer as Northern Railways, in charge of running the Parliament canteen for over five decades, was replaced by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

An RTI reply from 2015 had revealed that Rs 14 crore was paid as subsidies to the canteen annually, but the ITDC has now been tasked to provide food at cost price.

Speaker Om Birla detailed these developments to explain the financial reforms undertaken to curb unnecessary expenditure. The 17th Lok Sabha commemorated two years of its first sitting a couple of days ago.