Port Blair, Nov 01: The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray on Saturday called a press conference and clarified about all the allegations levelled against him by a local daily.
The local daily reported a news-item recently with caption “Andamans most expensive MP” and claimed that the MP has claimed over Rs. 1 core as travel expense.
In the press conference he clarified that the release of the parliamentary secretariat on expenditure with regard to MPs in public domain from time to time is routine matter. Mr. Ray said that allegations levelled on him by the local daily to tarnish his image.
While giving facts relating to travel expenditure of MPs to media, said that for travel expense, the MP are governed under Act of parliament and therefore they are entitled for executive class or first class air journey. This Act provides special dispensation for entitlement for MPs of A&N Islands constituency and Lakshadweep constituency to avail flights along companion from Port Blair to Delhi Via Chennai or Kolkata anytime other than session/committee meetings due to the fact that both the UTs are not connected by road or rail links.
Mr. Ray further informed that he is also a member in Parliamentary Committees such as Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (RS).
Committee on paper Laid on the tables (LS), Consultative Committee on Culture and Tourism and North East Region Hindi Committee, participated in tours of the Committees and attended Parliament sessions during June 2014 to June 2015.
The Claims for travel expenses are filed in the Salary Branch of Parliament along with tickets, boarding passes etc, which are audited and then only payments are made, Mr. Ray added.
Regarding the allegations on being anti-development of the UT, the MP said that he was ranked second in the entire country during his tenure (UPA-2) for the fund utilization under MPLAD. Altogether Rs. 26 crores were spent under MPLADS during this period and there have been no allegations of corruption or favouritism or commission in awarding works against him, he added. (with input for DT)
