Sonia reads ethics code to MPs

Expressing anguish at the recent episodes that have damaged the public image of MPs and of Parliament itself, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today asked party MPs to make a firm commitment to follow the code of ethics laid down for MPs.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting today, she called for scrupulous adherence to the norms to avoid conflict of interest and to the stipulated disclosure requirements.

"I also want to draw your attention to the widespread impression that MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds are not being utilised properly. I know many of you are using the funds well, but it is now up to us, individually and collectively, to dispel the mistaken notion of large-scale misuse," said Gandhi.

Addressing the CPP, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the MPs "to see that their own MPLAD scheme is properly implemented".

Meanwhile, MPLAD scheme is likely to survive the latest controversies about its misuse that led a section of parliamentarians to demand its abolition.

At the all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to discuss the scheme today, most of the political parties are said to have opposed any move to scrap it. They, however, agreed that some mechanism should be evolved to ensure proper monitoring, sources said.

At the CPP meeting, both the prime minister and the Congress president outlined the importance of the social and economic legislations introduced by the UPA government for the uplift of different sections of society.

Speaking about the ambitious government programmes in social and infrastructural sectors, the prime minister said that the MPs must act as watchdogs and custodians of these programmes.

"I think that we have proved that the policies of the UPA government are growth-friendly," Singh said.

The Congress president asserted, "We are firmly committed to the UPA-Left coalition at the national level. Our challenge is to ensure that while this commitment is retained, the good work being done by the coalition government yields political advantage for us as a party as well."

She told the MPs that if they wished to make any suggestion for the forthcoming Budget, they may send it to the finance minister. Like last year, a pre-Budget interaction between the finance minister and Congressmen will be organised at the AICC soon.

In line with her earlier suggestion about briefing sessions for MPs on key initiatives taken by the government, they were informed about the urban renewal mission yesterday.

Gandhi said briefings could be organised for interested MPs on programmes like employment guarantee, rural health mission and Bharat Nirman even after the Parliament session comes to a close.