Funds donated for MLAs’ ‘welfare’ returned

Shimla, December 5

The money, collected through donations in the name of providing relief to MLAs and CM, by social activist Ravi has been returned on the pretext that there is no such provisions to accept it.

Ravi, vegetable seller, who contested the last Lok Sabha elections from Shimla as Independent, had lodged a protest against the hike in travel allowance of MLAs, maintaining that their duty was to serve people and not hike their own allowances.

He had mobilised people and appealed to them to donate of Re 1 to provide relief to MLAs when the Bill enhancing the travel allowance of MLAs was passed in the Assembly in August. A sum of Rs 2,518 was collected in the 15-day campaign and sent to MLA and CM Relief Fund through the Governor. The bank draft was returned by the government on the plea that no head in the name of CM MLAs’ Relief Fund existed in the office of the Chief Minister.

Ravi said their campaign would not end and they would continue to oppose the hike in MLAs’ allowances. The youth is unemployed, several are below poverty line and under such circumstances, how could the representatives of the public hike their allowances, he added. He said the money has been collected to help the MLAs and would be donated to CM relief Fund. — TNS