| SP |
Posted
on 23-Dec-01 01:58 PM
After a Pajero, pension, medical holidays and several other perks to the members of Parliament, now comes the housing. In a country, where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line, per capita income is lower than Bhutan and Bangladesh's, with abysmal health care facilities and public housing, our parlimentariians behave as if they are a bunch of employees of a dwindling RNAC like corporation thus they can squeeze to its last drop for their individual benefits. This will make the head of the government like an executive appointed by an interest group that will look after the interest of a certain group only and will want to cling on to power no matter where the country is going.
Granted, provision of housing to so called honorable members is not a bad proposition in itself. But the question is of priority when the country is facing so many other challenges. The government can't even take a vehicle back from a public official for official use after he or she ceases to hold that post.
One of the main reasons we have the Maoist problem is due to lethargic attitude of the parliament. In an interview recently, a district public official had said that "where decentralisation has brought development, you won't see Maoists there".
As elected officials, the lower house should be fully responsible for the present pathetic sitaution of the country. Unfortunately, they are always in race for ministership and perks.
It is all the more important now to have each of the minister declared their wealth publicly and they be made accountable for all the acts. Don't know how but the news of housing to MPs sound like another deal to sweeten their vote...
|
