SHIMLA: The Union government should enhance MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund instead of increasing the salaries and perks of parliamentarians, BJP leader and member of Parliament from Kangra, Shanta Kumar said here on Monday. Earlier, in a letter to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the MP had demanded that subsidy on food items provided to MPs at the Parliament canteen be scrapped.

Shanta Kumar, who also remained the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, said that after the country-wide criticism on Parliament canteen subsidy issue, the members would now have to face the public wrath on salary hike.

In a press statement, the MP stated that salaries provided to MPs were sufficient to meet their daily needs. "We are the representative of that country where crores of people are hungry and poor. They all send us with the expectations that we will eliminate poverty from their lives," he added.

The Centre could consider extending some facilities to MPs, he said and added that MPLAD fund should be increased. Before the start of the monsoon session in Parliament, both the issues should be resolved by withdrawing subsidy of the Parliament canteen and stopping the discussions on salary-hike of parliamentarians, he said.