Editorial
Perks and facilities to MPs
We are all for these, but hoping they will change the legacy of waste
Marking a healthy departure from the much abused practice of providing duty-free luxurious cars to MPs, many of them finding their way to the open market, henceforth the lawmakers will have vehicles from a pool created for them. This is a move in the right direction, although all concerned must still be conscious of the fact that purchase of new vehicles even slightly lower down the luxury scale for large numbers of MPs and upazila chairmen would be a financially strenuous undertaking, especially in these hard times.
It also sounds positive that the Speaker has been empowered to limit the office allowances of VIPs in parliament and entertainment allowances will also be whittled down, unlimited expenditure in the last parliament under such heads having drawn sharp criticism. We welcome the new-found sensitivity to public sensibilities hoping that this will be reflected on other heads of expenditure as well.
The lawmakers' long-felt need for offices with secretarial service is also going to be met, it is understood. As a matter of fact, we are for an adequate complement of facilities to be provided to the MPs, but these must be utilised judiciously so as to achieve maximum output from them. Why we are having to say this is because MPs have been known for piling up arrears in crores of takas in unpaid telephone bills and other utility charges despite being provided with allowances.
If elected public representatives were so derisive with rules that ordinary citizens have to comply with on pain of punishment what moral authority habitually defaulting lawmakers could claim to represent their constituencies? People expect the MPs to change that legacy. Their status as elected public representatives to the House of the people demands of them to set examples of sincerity, honesty and commitment to public welfare, welfare of the taxpayers who sacrifice so much for them so that they can represent the people more effectively and serve them in full measure.
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