Indian Parliament Removes Subsidies At Canteen, Prices Increase By 50-70 Percent - Speaker

NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2021) The Indian Parliament has removed subsidies at the parliament canteen that now will be run by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation instead of the Northern Railways company that served food in the parliament since 1968, Speaker of the parliament's lower house Om Birla said on Tuesday.

Birla made this statement at a press conference held ahead of the next session of the Indian parliament that would start on January 29.

The chairman of the parliament's food committee, Jithendra Reddy said that food prices in the canteen increased by up to 70 percent after the subsidies were removed.

"Prices of all items have been increased by 50-70%," Reddy said as quoted by the Hindustan Times newspaper.

The Indian parliament's canteen serves food not only to the legislators, but also to journalists and visitors. According to the parliament's statistics, roughly 4,500 people visit the canteen every day during parliamentary sessions.