BJP MPs to contribute for relief of victims of Assam violence

New Delhi, Aug 14:

MPs from both Houses of Parliament today decided to contribute Rs 50,000 from their MPLAD fund for relief and rehabilitation of those affected by ethnic violence in

and the people displaced by the landslides in Uttarakhand.

At its weekly Parliamentary Party meeting, BJP MPs offered to contribute Rs 50,000 for the two relief funds from their MPLAD fund. The party is also likely to contribute some amount to this fund.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP VP Singh Bhadnor suggested that members contribute from their salary instead of the MPLAD fund. However, this was shot down by other members.

Bhagat Singh Koshiyari raised the issue of the difficulties being faced by those affected by the recent landslides in the Uttarkashi region. Harin Pathak discussed the Black money issue on which Baba Ramdev had gone on a fast. He was asked to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour.

BJP is also likely to reshuffle some of its members in the various Standing Committees of Parliament. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj praised the party's performance in Parliament in highlighting the problems related to the ethnic violence in Assam and also raised the issue of the recent violence in Mumbai.

The party will support the Left on the power grid failure issue which is likely to be raised by Basudev Acharia (CPM). Swaraj's Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley dwelt at length on the problems being faced by pilgrims going to the Amarnath shrine. He also spoke on the Lokpal Bill, price rise and the state of the economy.

PTI